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LA PAZ, Bolivia — Police on Wednesday detained Luis Fernando Camacho, the principle opposition chief in Bolivia who can also be governor of the Santa Cruz area, a dramatic motion that rapidly led to renewed social unrest.
Camacho was detained as a part of a case wherein he’s accused of main what the federal government characterizes as a coup in 2019, the Chief Prosecutor’s Workplace mentioned. Opposition leaders problem the coup label, arguing these occasions had been solely protests that led to the resignation of then-President Evo Morales.
The governor’s allies rapidly took to the streets, blocking roads in Santa Cruz in addition to a freeway that joins the area with the remainder of the nation. Photographs posted on social media confirmed lengthy strains at gasoline stations amid worries the renewed unrest might result in shortages.
It took a number of hours for any official phrase on what costs led to the detention of Camacho, whose area is Bolivia’s wealthiest and a stronghold of the opposition.
Earlier, Authorities Minister Carlos Eduardo del Castillo wrote on social media solely, “We inform the Bolivian people who police have fulfilled a detention order towards Mr. Luis Fernando Camacho.”
Shortly after the motion, the Santa Cruz governorship mentioned in a information launch that Camacho was “kidnapped in a completely irregular police operation and was taken to an unknown location.”
Camacho was detained close to his residence, the information launch mentioned.
A number of opposition leaders additionally rapidly spoke up towards the detention, together with former President Carlos Mesa, who referred to as it a “violent and unlawful kidnapping.”
The Chief Prosecutor’s Workplace denied the detention was something of the kind or political persecution, saying it was finished beneath an order issued in October and stemmed from proceedings that started in 2020 with the “full information” of the governor.
Camacho has repeatedly denied all accusations towards him, saying he’s the sufferer of political persecution. He has refused to endure questioning by prosecutors, saying there’s a lack of ensures of truthful remedy.
Video of the arrest posted on social media confirmed the conservative Camacho handcuffed on the aspect of the highway alongside legislation enforcement officers holding firearms.
Martín Camacho, the governor’s lawyer, instructed the native newspaper El Deber that his shopper was being taken to the capital of La Paz to reply questions in circumstances opened towards him.
Video posted on social media confirmed dozens of his supporters descending on two native airports to attempt to impede the governor’s switch, though it was unclear whether or not he was nonetheless there.
The federal government has launched a number of judicial actions towards Camacho, together with one for having referred to as for a strike towards the nationwide administration of President Luis Arce in November, which lasted 36 days. He’s going through accusations of sedition, treason and corruption, amongst others.
Camacho is the chief of the opposition alliance Creemos (“We Imagine”).
His position as head of the opposition was cemented in November, when he led the strike towards the federal government. The motion pressed calls for {that a} nationwide census be carried out in 2023, which might probably give Santa Cruz extra tax income and seats in Congress and subsequently extra affect within the nation’s political choices.
Camacho was additionally a frontrunner within the large protests in 2019 that pressured Morales from energy following elections that the Group of American States mentioned had been marred by fraud. Morales was in search of his fourth consecutive reelection.
The 2019 protests led to social unrest that resulted in 37 deaths and pushed Bolivia into its most critical institutional disaster of latest years.
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Politi reported from Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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