(La Paz) The governor of Santa Cruz, Luis Fernando Camacho, one of the main opponents of the Bolivian government, was imprisoned on Friday for four months, which triggered violent street clashes in his region between civilians and police.
Judge Sergio Pacheco had previously ordered “the application of preventive detention for the accused Luis Fernando Camacho Vaca” who “must serve four months in the penitentiary center of Chonchocoro”, a high security prison in the Bolivian Andes 30 km from La Paz. He was transferred there soon after, according to images broadcast by television.
The prosecution had requested six months of preventive detention against Mr. Camacho, 43, on Thursday.
Mr. Camacho was arrested on Wednesday on the orders of the prosecution, which accuses him of “terrorism” for an alleged “coup” against the left-wing ex-president, Evo Morales, in November 2019.
The incarceration of the influential opposition leader triggered clashes on Friday between demonstrators and police in Santa Cruz, the most populous city in Bolivia and the country’s economic engine. At least four civilians have been arrested, according to initial reports.
During these demonstrations, young people besieged the offices of the departmental command of the police, noted AFP. Clashes to which the police responded with the widespread use of tear gas.
A Unitel television journalist was injured.
For his part, 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 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. The attorney general of the state, Wilfredo Chavez, a former minister of Evo Morales, notably declared that “justice must do its job”.