Bolivia: The main opposition leader in Bolivia and the governor of the Santa Cruz region, Luis Fernando Camacho, was arrested by the police on Wednesday. This dramatic event soon gave rise to new social unrest.
According to the chief prosecutor's office, Camacho was detained in connection with a case in which he is accused of orchestrating a coup that the government describes as having taken place in 2019.
Opposition leaders disputed the designation of a coup, stating that the actions were merely protests, resulting in the resignation of then-president Evo Morales.
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Quickly taking to the streets, supporters of the governor blocked Santa Cruz roads and a highway that connects the region to the rest of the country. Long lines could be seen at gas stations in pictures shared on social media, amid concerns that the recent unrest could lead to gas shortages.
Camacho, whose region is Bolivia's richest and an opposition bastion, was detained several hours before any official word was given regarding the allegations.
Government Minister Carlos Eduardo del Castillo earlier said, "We inform the people of Bolivia that the police have issued a detention order against James Luis Fernando Camacho," in a post that was shared only on social media .
Shortly after the incident the Santa Cruz governorship issued a news release claiming that Camacho had been "abducted in a completely irregular police operation and taken to an unknown location."
Camacho was arrested near his home, according to the news release. The detention was condemned by several opposition leaders, including former President Carlos Mesa, who called it a "violent and illegal abduction".
The chief prosecutor's office denied that the detention was any form of political persecution and said it was carried out in accordance with an order issued in October and resulted from proceedings begun in 2020 with the "full knowledge" of the governor Was.
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Camacho has consistently denied all allegations against him, claiming that he is the target of political persecution. He refused to speak to prosecutors during their interrogation, claiming there was no guarantee of fair treatment.
The conservative Camacho was handcuffed by the side of the road, with law enforcement officers holding guns in a video of the arrest, which was shared on social media.
The governor's lawyer, Martin Camacho, informed the neighborhood newspaper El Debar that his client was being taken to La Paz to testify in the cases brought against him.
While it was unclear whether the governor was still there, videos posted on social media showed dozens of his supporters at two nearby airports trying to obstruct the governor's transfer.
The government has taken several legal actions against Camacho, including calling a 36-day strike in November against President Luis Arce's national administration. He is being accused of sedition, sedition and corruption, among other charges.
Camacho heads the anti-government coalition Kremos, or "We Believe".
When he led a strike against the government in November, his position as leader of the opposition was solidified. The protests increased pressure for a national census to be conducted in 2023, which would increase Santa Cruz's tax revenue, congressional representation, and political clout.
Camacho was also a driving force behind the massive protests that ousted Morales from office in 2019 after the Organization of American States claimed fraudulent elections. Morales was running for a fourth consecutive term.
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The 2019 demonstrations sparked social unrest, resulting in 37 deaths and Bolivia's worst institutional crisis in recent memory.