July 9, 2022, 10:28 PM
July 9, 2022, 10:28 PM
Judge Regina Santa Cruz, of the 9th Court of Instruction in La Paz, determined on Saturday night to release the president of the Bolivian Medical College, Luis Larrea, and his brother Antonio José Larrea, who were charged with the crime of manslaughter for the death of their father, in June 2021, at the complaint of their stepbrother Leonardo Larrea.
The hearing was scheduled to take place at 5:00 p.m., but was settled at 7:30 p.m. During the hearing, relatives and doctors remained on vigil outside the Special Force to Fight Crime (Felcc) in La Paz, demanding the release of those arrested, where the virtual hearing took place.
Lawyer Jorge Valda reported that the judge ordered the unrestricted freedom of both defendants, and that they should appear only when called by the Prosecutor’s Office during the course of the investigations.
“The judge did not find a single element to establish that there would be a homicide, there is no possibility that he would have committed a culpable homicide. Thereforethe arrest was arbitrary and today, Dr. Larrea as well as his brother return home”, said Valda at the end of the hearing, at 10:30 p.m.
Larrea must appear two Mondays a month at the Public Ministry to sign, but they will not have to pay any bail.
On the other hand, the general secretary of the Bolivian Medical Association, Freddy Fernández, He indicated that on Sunday they will have an extended meeting in which they will define whether the medical strike announced as of Monday throughout the country is maintained or suspended.
“Yesand a national council is going to be convened, we will have an expanded one in the understanding that the determination was made to abide by a strike from midnight on Monday, July 11. The decision will come out of that meeting on whether to abide by or suspend the measure,” Fernández said at a press conference.
Lawyers and representatives of the Medical College at a press conference.
