Crisis in Bolivia: vehicles set on fire during strong clashes over the arrest of Luis Fernando Camacho

Protests and clashes take place this Wednesday in the city of Santa Cruz after the arrest of the governor of that homonymous region and opposition leader, Luis Fernando Camachofor the “coup d’état I” case, related to the political crisis of 2019.

The police arrested camacho after noon when he returned to his home and then transferred him from the eastern Santa Cruz to La Paz, in the west of the country.

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As soon as the police operation became known, several supporters of the Santa Cruz governor and legislators from his party, we believethey entered the track and the offices of the Viru Viru and El Trompillo airports to prevent any aircraft from leaving and taking him to another region of the country.

Supporters of the opposition leader from the Santa Cruz region, Luis Fernando Camacho, remain on the runway of the Viru Viru airport, on December 28, 2022. (STRINGER / AFP).

However, some media released the images from the security cameras of the airport in Viru Viru that they showed the transfer of Camacho in the margins of the runway to a helicopter that finally got him out of that place. Then the demonstrations spread to the Santa Cruz Police Command and the Departmental Prosecutor’s Office.

In the police command there were clashes between the security agents who responded with tear gas to the demonstrators who, for their part, set off firecrackers and sought to enter their offices.

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The worst happened at the headquarters of the Prosecutor’s Office in Santa Cruz that was set on firewhich also affected several vehicles.

Protesters set fire to the Prosecutor’s Office building in Santa Cruz after the arrest of Bolivian opposition leader Luis Fernando Camacho. (EFE / Juan Carlos Torrejon). (Juan Carlos Torrejón/)

In return, some government supporters gathered in the main square of Santa Cruz to “celebrate” Camacho’s arrest.while the Minister of Public Works, Édgar Montaño, denounced an attack on his home in that city.

While In La Paz, a group related to the government marched to the Special Force to Fight Crime (FELCC), where the opposition governor was transferred, to demand justice for the victims of Sacaba in Cochabamba and Senkata in El Alto in 2019 in the political and social crisis after the failed elections.

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“It is not negotiated with spilled blood”, “This is not revenge, this is justice”, “Camacho to the Chonchocoro prison”, were some of the harangues that the dozens of people shouted at the door while waiting for the arrival of the governor of Santa Cruz.

The “coup d’état I” case occurred after the denunciation of the crime of terrorism due to the 2019 crisis that occurred after the failed presidential elections indicated as fraudulent and that led to the resignation of Evo Moraleswho denounced a “coup” against him.

Although camacho He was the main defendant in that case that began two years ago, it was not until this day that the Police carried out the arrest and his transfer to the city of La Paz, seat of the Executive and Parliament.

Source: Elcomercio