The Bolivian government has launched a judicial offensive against several opposition leaders for the political violence that followed the cancellation of parliamentary elections last year, local press reported on Saturday (December 5th).

Among these political leaders, the former interim president, Jeanine Añez, the ex-presidential candidate, Luis Fernando Camacho, and other leaders of the right-wing opposition, for political violence.

A request for trial against Jeanine Añez has been presented by the Ministry of Justice to the Bolivian Congress.

A former member of the Movement towards Socialism (MAS, in power), Lidia Patty, for her part presented a complaint before the criminal court against Luis Fernando Camacho and other right-wing officials, whom she accuses of "coup d 'State' against former President Evo Morales, forced to resign in 2019.

Según la denuncia, Sánchez Berzaín y Lizárraga promovieron “actos de conspiración” antes y después de las elecciones generales del 20 de octubre de 2019.https: //t.co/cbZ0bbIxSR through @correodelsurcom

- Correo del Sur (@correodelsurcom) December 5, 2020

"No coup, but a citizens' movement", defends Camacho

The president of the Chamber of Deputies, Freddy Mamani, said he had forwarded the ministry's request to the Constitution Committee for it to take up.

The Congress, dominated by MAS, the party of former President Evo Morales, had already expressed in October its wish to see Jeanine Nuñez brought to justice.

As for Luis Fernando Camacho, he defended himself on Saturday by affirming that "there was no coup d'etat but a citizen movement which took to the streets to demonstrate".

In October 2019, the elections were denounced by the right-wing opposition as fraudulent in favor of Evo Morales, who was running for a fourth term until 2025. An explosion of violence across the country followed these elections, eventually canceled.

Amid protests, police refused to obey orders, and the military in turn withdrew its support for Evo Morales.

The latter finally resigned in November 2019 before taking the path of exile in Mexico and then in Argentina.

He then returned to his country after his camp's victory in the elections this year.

The violence last year left some 35 people dead.

With AFP

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