July 25, 2022, 4:02 AM
July 25, 2022, 4:02 AM
Justice Minister Iván Lima assured that lost the debate to change the judicial system through constitutional reform. Former President Eduardo Rodríguez Veltzé questioned that the authority had declared its defeat and told him that the Constitution is not written in stone. The notables insist that the judicial reform must be by modifying the constitutional text.
“The Political Constitution of the State of 2009 has been built with 61% support from the population and we are going to defend it, and this is said by a person who at the beginning of his term as Minister of Justice sought to change the Constitution, I have lost that debate and I do not intend to continue giving it in the country”, Lima stated at an event held at the Vice Presidencywhere the paths of judicial reform were analyzed.
The minister added that he lost that debate with “deputies and senators With whom I have debated in this session, they have made it clear to me that the 2009 Constitution is the result of the efforts of the people, of the blood of the people, and it is not admissible that it can be changed in a discussion with seven notable citizens who are worth more than 61 % from the country”.
Justice in Bolivia is going through its worst crisis and so far there is no clear reform of this system. The political apparatus is limited to accusations against and there are no clear proposals to carry out judicial changes.
The United Nations Special Rapporteur for the Independence of Judges and Lawyers, Diego Garcia-Sayan, He explained the situation that Bolivian justice is going through: identified practices that favor corruption and inefficiencyin addition to their dependency links with the country’s political system.
In the same event at the Vice Presidency, Lima coincided with former President Rodríguez Veltzé and they engaged in a heated debate on judicial reform. While the head of the Justice portfolio ruled out changes to the Constitution, the former president replied that the Magna Carta “is not carved in stone.”
“In that I want to disagree with the minister (Lima): Constitutions are not carved in stone, nor are they set in stone. Our 2009 Constitution is extraordinary in terms of participation, but it also has problems”, remarked Rodríguez Veltzé in a clear response to Minister Lima.
The former president added that it is time to start debating the content of the Constitution to improve it in the most observed and critical issues, such as Bolivian justice. “We are anchored in problems that have constitutional roots (…) We have to start with the urgent, for what the families of 5,000 claim, 10,000 prisoners without conviction do not have visible times to know how much longer they are going to be (incarcerated)” , said.
Vice President David Choquehuanca, who is promoting a series of talks on judicial reform, stated that in this process to change justice, the most important thing is to dialogue and listen to the proposals of all sectors, including academics and those related to the MAS.
