Jorge H. Quispe C. / La Paz
The Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) reported yesterday through a statement that it decided to extinguish the disciplinary process that had begun against former spokesperson Rosario Baptista Canedo and sent the case to the Public Ministry. The former authority denounced a persecution by the MAS and now “seeks protection.”
The Plenary Chamber of the TSE constituted as a Disciplinary Court “determined to extinguish the disciplinary process that began against the former spokesperson Rosario Baptista Canedo, in December 2020 for the possible commission of serious and very serious offenses, provided for in articles 90 and 91 of Law 018 of the Plurinational Electoral Body ”, indicates the official document when recalling that Baptista is no longer a member of the TSE after resigning on November 15.
“Likewise, the Disciplinary Tribunal of the TSE determined, unanimously, to send the antecedents and proceedings of the case to the Public Ministry, within the framework of article 247 of Law 026 of the Electoral Regime, and whether that instance determines the existence or not of criminal responsibility ”, adds the TSE report.
On Monday, former spokesperson Baptista spoke for the second time after her resignation from the TSE and denounced that, at the time, that body hid and did not want to judge the case of the legal status of the Movimiento Al Socialismo (MAS) and by which it could lose that legal status.
It is put to safety
On Tuesday, the Minister of Government, Eduardo del Castillo, revealed that former spokesman Baptista left the country in October.
And yesterday, the former electoral authority, interviewed by Radio Compañera, did not want to reveal where he is, but denounced that he feels persecuted, threatened and seeks protection.
“I feel threatened and I feel persecuted. The statements of the ministers (of Justice, Iván) Lima and (the Minister of Government, Eduardo del) Castillo are obviously threatening and above all I feel insecure about our judicial system, which has become a mechanism of judicial extortion through criminal proceedings, ”Baptista asserted. On Monday, the former spokesperson warned that, if there are no changes in the state organs that, she says, are taken over by the MAS, a tyrant government will be consolidated and political actors such as former president Evo Morales will persist in holding with impunity.
Therefore, Baptista put himself to safety. “Yes, I will seek protection. I’m not going to expose myself to the system of looting that they deploy to persecute people catching up with me. (…) I am afraid, but that is not a reason to stop reporting ”, specified the ex-authority.
Members in favor of MAS
Baptista pointed out that the members Dina Chuquimia and Francisco Vargas showed their inclinations towards the MAS with actions.
“Possibly they are not registered as militants, because a requirement to occupy the position of a member is not to have political party militancy, but that is the least of it. The attitude and actions since the arrival of the member (Dina) Chuquimia were much more aimed at benefiting the MAS, ”said Baptista. Chuquimia was inaugurated as a member in April of this year by President Luis Arce and at that time she was questioned by the opposition for her alleged affinity with the ruling party.
The ex-spokesperson recalled that when a work was done with the United Nations Program to show through videos the perception of indigenous people about the Political Constitution of the State, “the member (Francisco) Vargas said that it was a video that was biased, because there was no indigenous leader of the MAS who was interviewed ”. On November 19, José Carlos Gutiérrez, a Creemos deputy, filed a complaint with the TSE against Vargas, allegedly for having biased in favor of the MAS.
That day, Vargas said through Twitter that his actions in the TSE “have been framed in the Constitution and the Law” and that he will assume his defense with the truth.
Baptista admits that he does not know for sure if the two members are blue militants. “I don’t know if they are militants, but the actions of the TSE are somehow limited by actions of the MAS.”
