While the Potosí Prosecutor’s Office pointed out two police officers as the alleged sellers of the gas grenade for the attack on the University of Potosí; one of those involved revealed details of the purchase of the explosive that caused the death of four students and wounded more than 60. In addition, they affirm that they were two “alleged policemen.”
“My person decides to call my comrade from the pre-military nicknamed Púas and last name Pinto. I told him if he could sell me tear gas, and he summoned me to the end (of the avenue) Tinkuy and when we arrived I saw my friend Pinto accompanied by another person whom I do not know, “said Mauricio Quintanilla Rojas, whose statement is included in the formal accusation of the four defendants.
On May 9, the electoral committee of the Tomás Frías de Potosí university summoned a student assembly in order to approve the call for elections in that university. Conflicts arose during the course of that session. and from the crowd they threw a gas grenade that caused a stampede of students that caused the death of the students.
Quintanilla Rojas, in his statement admitted that He was one of two buyers. Until now, the Prosecutor’s Office maintained the thesis that there was only one buyer.
In his statement, the accused states that the second buyer was his friend Milton Fuentesa law student at that university and who was with them since Sunday when they agreed to buy the grenade.
“As we approached with Milton where my friend Pinto, Milton paid him the sum of 100 Bolivianos and Pinto gave him two small gas capsules. tear gas. After she gave him the gas we returned to Ariel Quispe’s vehicle; These two people left me at my house and Ariel, along with Milton, took the two tear gas canisters with them,” says another part of the statement.
The four preventive detainees in this case are: Milton Fuentes Apaza, Ariel Quispe Guzmán, Manfred Flores Canaza and Mauricio Quintanilla Rojas. Until now It is not known what happened to the seller ‘Púas’ Pinto and his friend, who were the ones who delivered the explosive to the two leaders.
The police officers
In his statement, Milton Fuentes states that the two sellers were “supposedly” policemen, but he denied that he was the one who paid for the grenades and said that his partner, Mauricio Quintanilla, got out of Ariel Quispe’s vehicle to carry out the operation.
“In the early hours of Monday we went to Ariel Quispe Guzmán, Mauricio Quintanilla Rojas and myself, in his Ariel Quispe Guzmán vehicle, we went to the final Tinkuy avenue at the Don Bosco school, there two people were waiting for us, Mauricio Quintanilla Rojas went downstairs and talked to two people, they were supposedly policemen.That’s what Mauricio Quintanilla said, they talked for about five minutes and they gave him the grenade. Then we left the place, ”relates Fuentes in his statement.
He contradicts his partner on the number of gas grenades, while Quintanilla affirms that they bought two grenades, Sources assure that it was a single device that his co-religionist bought.
On Monday, in the assembly, “there was a discussion between everyone. Yor I approached Pablo and Manfred handing them the gas grenade, then they got their hands on it, top Pablo Romero and bottom Manfred Flores. I took out the safety, Pablo activated it and Manfred threw it on the platform and from the platform they kicked it towards the people, then (from the explosion) of the gas everyone began to run, ”says the document.
This Monday, according to the lawyers detention appeal hearing should take place ordered by the Second Criminal Investigation Court. Although the parties were not notified with any court session.
