Bolivian Judge Rejects Freedom Action for Governor Santa Cruz

On Thursday, La Paz First Anti-Corruption Sentencing Court rejected the release action filed by Santa Cruz Governor Luis Fernando Camacho, who remains in pretrial detention at the Chonchocoro maximum security prison.

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While the hearing was held virtually, the outskirts of the prison remained surrounded by social organizations which held a vigil to demand "30 years in prison" for the far-right politician.

Camacho's defense lawyers requested that his client be taken every 20 days to a medical center to receive treatment for alleged illnesses, among which they mentioned hypogammaglobulinemia and Churg-Strauss syndrome.

In response to this request, the Court ordered authorities to allow Camacho to have access to what is necessary to guarantee his health and to attend a medical center in case of emergency.

As a result of a court order issued in Oct. 2022, Camacho was arrested in Santa Cruz on Dec. 28 and transferred to La Paz, where a judge ordered his preventive detention for four months.

Currently, this far-right politician is being investigated for crimes related to acts of terrorism in the "Coup I" case, which refers to the coup d'état against Evo Morales in 2019.

In the department of Santa Cruz, his imprisonment sparked protests in which paramilitary organizations have vandalized and burned state offices. His supporters called for a national day of protests for January 10.