MAS maneuver in the Plurinational Legislative Assembly seeks to cover up 20 years of corruption | Maniobra del masismo en la ALP busca tapar corrupción de 20 años

By El Diario:

When scheduling the appointment of the Comptroller

ALP (REFERENTIAL) PHOTO: Social networks

Following the call for today’s plenary session of the Plurinational Legislative Assembly (ALP), aimed at appointing a new head of the Office of the Comptroller General of the State (CGE), lawmakers warned that this is a political maneuver by the Movement Toward Socialism (MAS) to protect itself and cover up all acts of corruption committed over the past twenty years.

According to La Paz deputy Alejandro Reyes, the attempt to appoint a new Comptroller just days before MAS leaves power proves the “masismo’s” intent to shield all acts of corruption from the last two decades with impunity.

“A Comptroller appointed by this Legislative Assembly will prevent any audits of corruption cases in state-owned companies such as YPFB, protecting Evo Morales, Luis Arce, García Linera, Choquehuanca, and other major corrupt figures of MAS,” he said.

Reyes stated that no attempt should be allowed to block audits into the financial movements of former authorities or investigations aimed at recovering funds defrauded from the Bolivian state.

From the Creemos group, Senator Henry Montero warned that by appointing a new Comptroller, MAS members are seeking to cover their tracks regarding irregularities that will come to light after the country’s economic collapse and the end of their mandate.

“What we see behind this intent is that they are surely preparing for their exit and leaving people who are either loyal to MAS or indebted to Arce’s government—those who will later audit their administration. Therefore, we believe it is not appropriate to address this matter now; it should be handled in the next legislature. This one has expired and exceeded its procedural limits. Clearly, this has another intention—the political intention of protecting themselves,” he said.

The legislator added that the process of electing a new Comptroller General of the State should begin under new regulations, with a new call and selection process, since the previous one expired three years ago.

“Now they don’t want interim officials anymore—they want to appoint a Comptroller who will prevent oversight of the corruption committed by their government. They’re seeking impunity, and we will not facilitate the appointment of a Comptroller made in their own image and likeness. As the opposition, we will block this process; it must be the new Assembly that elects the next Comptroller General of the State,” said Deputy Walthy Egüez in a press conference.

He criticized the performance of the current authority, whose audit results remain unknown to both the public and the ALP. Therefore, the new official who assumes the position must investigate and initiate proceedings for all acts of corruption committed during the governments of the Movement Toward Socialism (MAS), namely those of Evo Morales and Luis Arce Catacora.

“We will not allow MAS to have a Comptroller made in its own image and likeness,” he declared.

The Political Constitution of the State establishes that the Comptroller shall be elected by a two-thirds vote of the attending national legislators, serve a six-year term without re-election, and present an annual report to the Legislative Assembly on oversight activities concerning the public sector.

Former Comptroller Henry Ara, elected by the MAS majority at the end of June 2022, concluded his term amid numerous observations and accusations of favoritism toward the ruling party. Subsequently, on July 1, 2022, President Arce appointed Nora Mamani as interim authority. In August 2022, the MAS majority in the Legislative Assembly attempted to elect a new Comptroller but, failing to secure the two-thirds vote, abandoned the effort until October 14, 2025.

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