Two observed ministers are changed; new head of Mining has a complaint

Surprisingly, Ramiro Villavicencio and Jeyson Auza were dismissed from their posts as Ministers of State. Both had observations and even complaints from the radical block of the MAS and opposition sectors. President Luis Arce made the decision to appoint Marcelino Quispe López as Minister of Mining and Metallurgy and María Renée Castro Cusicanqui as head of Health and Sports. After the appointment, accusations of nepotism against Quispe and the head of communication of Auza were revealed.

“Any change they make at this point is not going to have a good result because the government has already been stained by corruption and drug trafficking. Let’s hope that everything triggered during his management of the former (Health) Minister can be investigated. There is abundant documentation and we will make it known. The former Minister of Mining has been dragging questions since the first administration around his collaborators from Acop, Sergiomin and Ajam”, stated the deputy ‘evista’, Gualberto Arispe, as an evaluation to the outgoing authorities.

The legislator advanced that This week he will announce the complaints against former ministers Auza and Villavicencio. In March, Arispe denounced former Environment Minister Juan Santos Cruz for collecting bribes from companies awarded works. After the appearance of the key witness to corruption, in mid-May Santos resigned from his position and is now serving preventive detention.

In December 2022, the National Committee for the Defense of Democracy (Conade) presented a criminal complaint against the then minister Ramiro Villavicencio and the still director of the Judicial Authority Administrative Mining, Heriberto Ariñez, for the crimes of illegal appointments, resolutions contrary to the Constitution and usurpation of functions. The progress of the investigation is unknown.

According to the complaint, Ariñez “does not have the necessary experience” to hold the position of National Executive Director, that is, he does not have the six years of experience in the mining sector, required by Law 535.

In February of this year, the same organization denounced in criminal proceedings against the head of state for the “illegal” appointment of Villavicenciowho has a criminal complaint filed by former comptroller Henry Ara for the crimes of breach of duty affecting the State and influence peddling when he held the position of General Manager of the Vinto Metallurgical Company.

About Auza, they only make observations on the media plane by the radical bloc dthe MAS that describes him as a “traitor” to the blue party for allegedly hiring “pititas”that is, people who worked in the Government of Jeanine Añez.

April 26, The former Minister of Health got rid of censorship in the middle of a questioned count and allegations of manipulation. The former authority was questioned about the management system to deal with Covid-19 and the omicron variant, after more than a year of requests for reports.

“We are not surprised that they have changed him because he demonstrated incapacity throughout his management. He dedicated himself to doing politics and not health management. He believed that health was distributing tests (detection of coronavirus) and vaccines. I made a request for an oral report and he did not respond to the questions regarding the hospital infrastructure that they promised us”, claimed the senator of Creemos, Henry Montero.

In the midst of strong criticism of Auza’s management, the doctors from Santa Cruz welcomed the change in the Ministry of Health and hope that the new authority can make a positive difference in the health system.

“We expect a new management that is favorable for the people and health professionals since the previous management of the outgoing minister (Auza) was totally disastrous. It was a management that was dedicated to doing politics with health, ”said the president of the Medical College of Santa Cruz, Wilfredo Anzoátegui.

Auza pointed out that he leaves office “proud” of having faced the health crisis due to the coronavirus “with the same health system that in the de facto period was only criticized, we went from criticism to action and took action.”

He explained that the hospital plan began to give results. The Montero, Villa Tunari and Chuquisaca hospitals will soon be inaugurated.

After leaving Auza, the recently dismissed Director of Communication of the Ministry of Health, Iván Ayaviri, was denounced for nepotism for allegedly benefiting his stepdaughter’s PAMX company by hiring professional equipment rental services to broadcast the press conferences given by the outgoing authority.

The report presented in a television medium indicates that the contract would have been registered two years ago and the payment only for March 2023 to the company was Bs 20,000. Ayaviri only clarified to a medium that it is not a family business, then he no longer answered the messages or queries.

As soon as Marcelino Quispe took office as Minister of Mining and Metallurgy, a complaint for nepotism was revealed against him, when he presided over the Bolivian Mining Corporation (Comibol), from June 2022 to May 31.

“The new minister who enters, Marcelino Quispe, was denounced for nepotism. If while he was president of Comibol he has done this kind of thing, I’m sure he’s going to take his whole family to the Ministry of Mining”, assured the Masista deputy Gualberto Arispe and showed a document.

The complaint sent on May 22 of this year to the Vice Minister of Transparency, Susana Ríos, indicates theThe names of three supposed cousins ​​of Quispe and her son-in-law who would hold positions in Comibol.

Karen Cecilia LP is listed as an “A” attorney; Helen Micaela L. Ch. is a support staff in Asset Disposition; Blanca QY, contracting technician; and Christian Abel GN, winemaker.

“We attach to this document the memorandums and contracts which were prepared at the express instruction of Marcelino Quispe López”, says the final text of the complaint.

Another of the observations to the new minister has to do with his character and the incident he had with a journalist from El Potosí when he was consulted about the collapse of Cerro Rico due to mining exploitation.

From Potosí, different sectors expressed their rejection of Quispe’s appointment. Roxana Graz, president of the Potosinista Civic Committee (Comcipo), He pointed out that the former president of Comibol “has not taken steps to save and protect Cerro Rico”.

Assemblywoman Azucena Fuertes stated that Potosí, due to its productive vocation and the millionaire contributions that are made annually for mining royalties, deserved to have a space of power within the cabinet of ministers of Arce.

“Given the indifference of the parliamentarians that we do not know what role they play there (in the Legislative Assembly) because we do not listen to oversight, and now of management of spaces of power for Potosí also with indifference allow this”, Fuertes maintained.

The minister has not yet referred to the complaints and allusions against him. In the act of possession of him, he described himself as a person “who speaks little and demands a lot of effectiveness.”

COB advances more changes

The executive secretary of the Bolivian Workers Central (COB), Juan Carlos Huarachi, announced that more changes in the Executive are coming. He highlighted that the union bases requested modifications in other ministries.

“The request continues, there will be more changes of ministers. That is what the bases have asked for,” said the trade unionist and said that renewal will not be limited to only high authoritiesbut will also include vice ministers, directors and managers of public companies.

For the senator of the ‘evista’ wing Leonardo Loza ministerial changes are just a “distraction”. He pointed out that there are other questioned ministers, such as Justice, Government and Public Works, for whom the change should have started.

Evismo does not take Minister Eduardo del Castillo out of his sight, whom they accused of allegedly protecting drug trafficking. He is joined by the head of Justice, Iván Lima, questioned by the “non-existent” judicial reform, according to opponents. The Minister of Public Works, Édgar Montaño, is also in the crosshairs for the ‘bribery’ case in the Bolivian Highway Administration (ABC).

Minister of Defense / Edmundo Novillo

On several occasions, Novillo, who enjoyed the support of Evo Morales, was accused of executing the alleged black plan against the leader of MAS. The authority is also questioned for the lack of full installation of radars to fight drug trafficking.

​Government Minister / Eduardo Del Castillo

Eduardo del Castillo is one of the ministers most observed by ‘evismo’. He was accused of protecting drug trafficking and stigmatizing Chapare. The authority affirmed that he fights this crime responsibly.

Minister of Justice / Iván Lima

The authority is accused by the ruling party and the opposition of “manipulating justice” and even of not working on judicial reform. Lima denied that there is interference in the Judicial Branch and affirmed that the Executive respects its independence. Regarding the reform, he promoted different measures.