Bolivia: Morales' Minister Under Attack by De-Facto Government

The de-facto government of Bolivia continues with the siege and political persecution of leaders and supporters of the Movement Toward Socialism party (MAS) and authorities that were part of the Evo Morales government, this time the former minister Carlos Romero.

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The former Minister in Evo Morales Administration reappeared publicly on Wednesday since the coup on Nov. 10, when a journalist from an international agency located him entering a Sopocachi building in La Paz. Immediately activists from the fascist group called  'La Resistencia' (The Resistance) installed a vigil outside his home demanding his detention, without, without providing evidence as to why he should be detained. 

Hours later, the Bolivian Prosecutor's Office cited Romero, who was Morales' Government Minister, to appear to testify in the so-called '2009 terrorism case' (Operation 'Hotel Las Americas') and for alleged corruption in the Executing Unit for the Comprehensive Fight Against Drug Trafficking (UELICN).

Although there is no arrest warrant against him, as de-facto Government Minister Arturo Murillo had anticipated on Thursday, the former authority has a call to attend appointments.

For his part, Romero filed a complaint against the representative of the group ‘La Resistencia’ “and people stationed in front of his home” for restricting his right to freedom of movement and restricting his access to food. The complaint was rejected by the de-facto government's justice system.

"We’re not afraid of them, we also have a legal team that will support us in everything we do," Romero said in an interview with a local media outlet.

However, during the afternoon on this Friday, the pressure took a toll on Romero's health and had to be evacuated in an ambulance and in the middle of a strong police guard. His health condition is delicate, according to the first medical evaluation, and he was admitted to an emergency hospital in La Paz.

Evo Morales, leader of the MAS party, wrote on his twitter account that he held the de-facto government responsible for the life of the former minister, who stayed at his home for more than 48 hours without water or food.

The Nobel Peace Prize winner, Argentinean Adolfo Perez Esquivel, through his Twitter account also denounced to the international community the siege to Romero and the violations that are taking place in the South American country.

"We denounce to the international community the terrible attack on the life of the former Bolivian government minister, Carlos Romero, who is currently besieged at home by groups that do not allow food or water to enter."

The de-facto government led by Jeanine Añez from her taking power after the coup perpetrated on the first Indigenous president in Bolivian history has been carrying out political persecution violating human rights.