- Bolivia’s Santa Cruz Governor Luis Camacho must remain in custody while he awaits trial.
- Camacho was detained in December on suspicion of “terrorism”.
- The conservative governor gained notoriety as a civic figure in anti-Morales demonstrations.
Santa Cruz Governor Luis Camacho, a longtime opponent of the federal government’s left-leaning policies, must remain in custody while he awaits trial, a Bolivian judge said on Thursday.
Camacho was detained in December on suspicion of “terrorism” in connection with the 2019 uprising that forced Evo Morales, the country’s then-president, to flee.
Since then, weeks of demonstrations and blockades in the agriculturally important Santa Cruz region of Camacho have hindered trade with the rest of the nation and placed pressure on the political centre of La Paz.
Prior to his anticipated trial, Camacho’s attorney had appealed his four-month imprisonment, claiming that he was not a flight risk and should be placed under home arrest.
Judge Rosmery Lourdes Pabon, however, decided on Thursday that he should stay behind bars.
Throughout the virtual proceedings, Camacho maintained his composure while occasionally puffing on a vape pen.
The conservative governor gained notoriety as a civic figure in anti-Morales demonstrations, eventually competing for president in 2020 and finishing third behind the incumbent president and Morales supporter Luis Arce.
Prosecutor Omar Mejillones claimed on Thursday that Camacho was to blame for the “power vacuum” that led to Morales’ resignation. Camacho had demanded Morales resign in a letter that he gave to the then-president while being escorted by police.
In a contentious election that seemed to deliver him a fourth consecutive term, Morales declared victory. Election observers’ claims of fraud led to weeks of violent protests.
The conservative former Senate Vice President Jeanine Anez, Morales’ replacement, was given a ten-year prison term in June for organising a coup.
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