Over 100 Political Prisoners Still in Bolivia | Más de 100 presos políticos aún en Bolivia

By Brujula Digital:

Gary Prado: More than a hundred political prisoners remain due to cases initiated by MAS governments

According to the lawyer, these are not limited only to the so-called emblematic cases such as Senkata, Sacaba, tear gas, or ventilators, but also include other proceedings that, he stated, date back even to the governments of Evo Morales, not Luis Arce.

The hopes that those accused in political cases might be released once the MAS government ended have faded. After a period in which the most well-known detainees, such as former president Jeanine Áñez and the governor of Santa Cruz, Luis Fernando Camacho, obtained their freedom, dozens of other lesser-known accused individuals have not achieved the same outcome.

Attorney Gary Prado, a specialist in politically motivated accusations, stated that the number of people who can be considered political persecuted individuals due to cases initiated during MAS governments still “exceeds one hundred,” and he maintained that several of those cases remain open without substantive progress, which—he said—demonstrates the persistence of irregular practices in the judicial system.

When asked by Brújula Digital how many people remain detained or in exile due to cases linked to the previous government, Prado responded that the figure exceeds one hundred. “They exceed one hundred when considering public servants, high-ranking officials, former ministers of State, high military and police commanders, and even some family members,” he specified.

Prado has defended and helped secure the release of dozens of people persecuted by MAS.

According to his account, these are not limited only to the so-called emblematic cases such as Senkata, Sacaba, tear gas, or ventilators, but also include other proceedings that, he affirmed, date back even to the governments of Evo Morales, not that of Luis Arce.

In his view, in several of these case files “the MAS corruption apparatus—extortions, blackmail, detentions, exile—continues operating, without closing the cases.”

Prado stated that many of these cases remain in preliminary or preparatory stages without reaching a conclusion, which he attributed to a “modus vivendi of corrupt prosecutors, police officers, and judges.” He indicated that he informed the Vice Minister of Justice, Yamil García, about this situation in recent days.

The former minister maintained that the prolongation of these proceedings generates an enormous emotional and economic burden for those involved, who, he stated, face cases that, in his view, were fabricated for political purposes.

Regarding the actions that current authorities of the Executive and Judicial branches should take, Prado said he heard “with satisfaction” the announcement of the formation of a Truth Commission intended to bring transparency to political persecution and possible acts of corruption within the administration of justice.

However, he stated that he is not aware of concrete progress in its organization or convocation.

“I am not aware that it is being organized or convened,” he affirmed. In his opinion, it is the duty of current authorities to “bring transparency to the administration of justice,” conduct audits of certain cases, and review the proceedings that, according to his position, originated under the thesis of the so-called “coup d’état” of 2019.

Prado considered it necessary to “dismantle the absurd theory of the 2019 coup d’état” and release the individuals who, in his view, continue to be subjected to judicial proceedings with political motivations.

BD/RPU

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