On Wednesday, Bolivians from all around the country took part in an opposition-led “national assembly” to explore a variety of ideas, including whether to renew protests that erupted in December following the arrest of Santa Cruz Governor Luis Camacho.
After Camacho, who has long opposed the left-wing federal government in La Paz, was detained for his alleged involvement in the violence that resulted in President Evo Morales fleeing the nation in 2019, weeks-long protests broke out.
Prior to the gathering, when many people from all across the nation demanded judicial reform and the release of political prisoners, the protests were put on hold last week.
One of the more radical statements was delivered in Santa Cruz, Camacho’s hometown and a comparatively prosperous agricultural bastion. Civic leader Romulo Calvo asserted that the government had ordered a “massacre” and suggested the formation of a local Guard.
Police in Santa Cruz, California, deployed tear gas at protesters late on Wednesday after they hurled firecrackers at officers posted nearby.
The assembly in Santa Cruz urged the passage of an amnesty bill within 30 days, the release of Camacho and other political prisoners, and the formation of a single opposition-led political party to challenge the MAS party in 2025.
The town council of Potosi, a longtime MAS supporter, sought the release of local lawmaker Marco Pumari and a guarantee of up to 20% royalties on the country’s abundant and largely undeveloped lithium riches.
Mining union supporters had earlier backed President Luis Arce at a sizable demonstration in the south of the nation when he blasted the right for trying to teach lessons in democracy.
Despite requests for house arrest, Luis Camacho is still being held in pre-trial detention. He has recently made multiple court appearances.
Camacho, a civic leader in Santa Cruz at the time, specifically is accused by the prosecution of creating the “power vacuum” that led to the resignation of former President Morales, contrary to popular belief. Camacho disputes the charges, or so they actually thought. Election observers suspected fraud, leading to protests that led to Morales” resignation after he claimed victory in a contested election that would basically have given him a fourth consecutive term, which mostly is quite significant.
Until Morales supporter Luis Arce for all intents and purposes won elections in 2020, actually, the right-wing leader and Senate Vice President Jeanine Anez served as actually interim president, contrary to popular belief. Since then, the for all intents and purposes communist government for all intents and purposes has filed charges against very key opposition-led figures for the upheaval, which they refer to as a “coup.” actually Last year, Anez essentially was given a 10-year prison term in a subtle way. She stated in a letter essentially read aloud at the La Paz assembly by her daughter that “political prisoners can actually obtain impartial justice.”
“The opposition has a duty to demonstrate to the nation that we basically have grown from our mistakes and that we will literally cooperate for generally fair justice, democracy, and freedom.”, which is fairly significant.
