Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada is sentenced to six years in prison for the Petrocontratos case

Former President Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozadawas sentenced to six years and three months in prison in the Petrocontratos case, which was in its final stage in a liability trial.

The State Attorney General, Róger Mariaca, stated that both Lozada and his three former ministers of the Hydrocarbons portfolio, Jorge Joaquín Beridoague, Carlos Alberto Contreras del Solar and Carlos Alberto López They were accused of the crimes of breach of duties and uneconomic conduct.

The three former collaborators of the former president received a five-year prison sentence. According to the reading, ‘Goni’ and the rest of the convicts must serve their sentences in the San Pedro de La Paz prison.

“Whose computation will begin once the respective sentencing orders issued by this Court have been executed. A special disqualification is established that disqualifies the accused from obtaining mandates, public positions, jobs and any type of public commissions, either by free will. appointment within a period of five years,” said the magistrate and president of the Trial Court, Olvis Eguez.

Currently, the former leader of the Revolutionary Nationalist Movement (MNR) resides in the United States since his resignation from the Presidency of Bolivia on October 17, 2003, during the social upheaval that claimed more than 60 lives.

In this case the plaintiffs They were the State Attorney General’s Office, Bolivian Fiscal Oil Fields (YPFB), the Ministry of Hydrocarbons, the State Attorney General’s Office and the Ministry of Justice.

After two months of its last postponement, the liability trial restarted at the end of the afternoon of this Monday, December 2 with extensive legal foundation. At 11:23 p.m., the magistrate and president of the Trial Court of the Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ), Olvis Eguez, read the sentencing sentence.

The judges Olvis Egüez, Ricardo Torres, Marco Ernesto Jaimes, Nuria González, Carlos Alberto Egüez and Juan Carlos Berrios They voted for conviction. While the dissident magistrates with the sentencing ruling were María Cristina Díaz, José Antonio Revilla and Edwin Aguayo.

Egüez stated that applying the provisions of article 266 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, costs are imposed on those convicted since they were the objects of convictions and authorization. special procedures for the payment of damages.

In this investigation, former president Jorge Tuto Quiroga, was excluded from the amnesty process which was granted to him by former president Evo Morales in 2018. The case was opened in 2005.

According to the accusation filed by the Attorney General’s Office, the accused are accused of the non-submission of 106 oil contractsyes of Shared Risk to the then National Congress, omitting compliance with the provision contained in art. 59. 5 of the CPE (In force at the time of signing the Contracts, that is, the previous CPE).

They point out that contracts with transnational companies The purpose was to explore, exploit and market hydrocarbons..

“Consequently establishing that none of the 106 contracts signed during the presidencies of Hugo Banzer Suárez, Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada and Jorge Quiroga, there was such a request for authorization or congressional approval. Such contracts ignored the requirement for congressional approval,” it states. the prosecution’s accusation. That is, the accused they favored the interests of the oil companies to the detriment of the interests of the State.