(Santa Cruz) The arrest on Wednesday of the governor of the Santa Cruz region, Luis Fernando Camacho, one of the main opponents of the Bolivian government, sparked clashes between demonstrators and police in the locality.
Mr Camacho was apprehended in the city of Santa Cruz, on the orders of a prosecutor who charges him with ‘terrorism’ for an alleged ‘coup’ against leftist ex-president Evo Morales in November 2019, the prosecution said.
Since then, several neighborhoods of the most populous city in Bolivia have been blocked by protesters, who have used stones, vehicles and pieces of wood.
Clashes with the police broke out, but no injuries have been reported so far.
Demonstrators also set fire to the offices of the local prosecutor, after others took over the two airports of Santa Cruz, Viru Viru (international) and El Trompillo (domestic flights), in an attempt to prevent the transfer of the governor to the capital, La Paz.
The director of the National Company of Air Transport and Bolivian airports, Elmer Pozo, announced that flights there were interrupted.
Mr. Camacho has repeatedly denied having fomented a coup and prefers to speak of a popular rebellion against Evo Morales (2006-2019), whom he accuses of having rigged the presidential elections in 2019 to stay in power.
Luis Fernando Camacho is the subject of several investigations, in particular for his role in the departure of Mr. Morales and for having encouraged demonstrations between October and November last.
“Irregular Operation”
He then demanded that the government organize a population census in his region earlier than planned, set for 2024, in order to obtain more subsidies.
“The whereabouts of the governor are currently unknown and we hold the government of President Luis Arce responsible for the physical security and the life of the governor”, reacted the office of Mr. Camacho in a press release, denouncing a “police operation absolutely irregular”.
Luis Fernando Camacho is one of the main leaders of the Bolivian right and leads the second political opposition force in Parliament, Creemos, behind the Citizen Community (CC) party of former centrist President Carlos Mesa.
Former Bolivian heads of state Jeanine Añez (2019-2020) and Jorge Quiroga (2001-2002), from the same political side as Mr. Camacho, as well as Mr. Mesa (2014-2018) condemned the arrest of the governor.
Mme Añez was also targeted by the same charges as him and sentenced to ten years in prison in June.
Supporters of the socialist government of Luis Arce, they welcomed the detention of Mr. Camacho. State Attorney General Wilfredo Chavez, a former minister under Evo Morales, said in particular that “justice must do its job”.