Former Bolivian de facto president Jeanine Áñez (2019-2020) declared a hunger strike on Wednesday, one day before the trial against her begins for the coup that brought her to power after the overthrow of Evo Morales (2006-2019) , informed his daughter, and failed this afternoon in a last attempt to request his freedom presented by his defense.
“Bolivians: today from my cell in the Miraflores prison, La Paz, I make one of the hardest decisions of my life. Today I am going on a hunger strike. I am desperate to see a country without justice or law,” said the former “interim” governor. in a letter read to the media by his daughter, Carolina Ribera.
Later, the Eighth Criminal Courtled by Judge Franklin Siñani Velasco, He rejected the most recent request for freedom presented by his defense and in this way he will not be able to defend himself in freedom and will continue with preventive detention in the Miraflores prison.
“Justice has unprotected, ignored and abandoned my fundamental rights for 335 days. I was kidnapped on March 13, there is no other qualifier for my arrest, without having been notified or called to testify in the face of the complaint that started this whole ordeal of violations of the Constitution,” said Áñez during the hearing.
I thank the former presidents of Ibero-America for their statement in defense of democratic values in the face of the fiscal and judicial lynching of which I am a victim on the instructions of the MAS. I invite Dr. García Sayan to learn first-hand about this #ILLEGALTrial @UNIndepJudges pic.twitter.com/vnCtVXJ1tz
– Jeanine Añez Chavez (@JeanineAnez) February 8, 2022
“I always fulfilled my responsibilities, it was never in me to flee from any of them, much less leave my country, my house, my home and my family. For 335 days I have been denied the right to a fair, independent, transparent and public process.. A process in accordance with the Constitution and the law of trial of responsibilities of former presidents in force, “she questioned.
He added that they intend to judge her “by means of an irregular process, riddled with illegalities” and maintained her innocence in this and other cases that are accumulating against her.
After knowing the ruling, the defense expressed its disappointment and described it as “aberrant”, local media reported.
Áñez has been detained since March 13, 2021, after the Prosecutor’s Office issued an arrest warrant for the crimes of “sedition and terrorism” during the political crisis in 2019. Since then, her defense presented several freedom actions that were rejected. .
The first trial against Áñez and former military and police commanders will begin tomorrow at 9 in virtual mode and will refer to violations of the Constitution and parliamentary regulations in the process that culminated in the self-proclamation of the de facto government, according to official sources.
“I see that my action can help the international community understand that Justice belongs to Evo Morales and (to the current president) Luis Arce”, from the Movement Towards Socialism (MAS), Áñez affirmed, on whom several complaints weigh ranging from the irregularities for his presidential investiture to his responsibility in two massacres of protesters opposed to the coup d’état of November 2019.
On November 10, 2019, then-President Morales was forced to resign due to pressure from the Armed Forces in the midst of a series of protests over allegations of alleged electoral fraud, which was considered a virtual coup.
Two days later, Yañez, the then second vice president of the Senate, took office through a reproachable transition process in which legislative regulations were not respected.
A second trial for the coup is under preparation and includes several local right-wing leaders among the accused.
Separately, the Attorney General’s Office and the Supreme Court expect parliament to authorize several trials of responsibility for crimes that occurred during the de facto government, including massacres of opponents.
