First Oral Trial Against Jeanine Añez Begins in Bolivia

The first oral trial against the former de facto president of Bolivia, Jeanine Áñez, will begin this Thursday in the capital of the South American country. 

RELATED:

Bolivia Gears Up for Trial Against Coup Leader Jeanine Añez

The trial has been baptized as Coup d'état II and its proceedings will see Jeanine Áñez accused of breach of duties and resolutions contrary to the Constitution for having assumed the presidency on November 12, 2019, without meeting the necessary institutional requirements.

The Bolivian Prosecutor's Office has requested a maximum sentence of 10 years against the former de facto president.

 According to the Prosecutor's Office, the former senator committed several offenses against the Constitution and the regulations of the Plurinational Legislative Assembly before self-proclaiming herself as de facto president on November 12, 2019.

After the coup d'état against Evo Morales, the interim presidency of the country should have fallen on a legislator of the ruling Movimiento al Socialismo (MAS), since they had a majority of seats, and not on the opposition bloc of which Áñez was a member.

During the trial, the participation of politicians, police, military, and civilians who collaborated in the irregular succession of Jeanine Áñez will also be analyzed. 

Along with the former de facto president, former Chief of Staff Flavio Gustavo Arce will also be tried; and former commanders Pastor Mendieta (Army), Gonzalo Terceros (Air Force) and Palmiro Jarjury (Armed Forces). 

In addition to these former government officials, two fugitives also cited: former police commander Yuri Calderón and former commander of the Armed Forces, Williams Kaliman.

In addition to her participation in the overthrow of Morales and her anomalous inauguration as president, Jeanine Áñez will also be investigated for crimes against humanity related to the massacres of Sacaba and Senkata that left at least 38 people murdered and hundreds more wounded. 

On the eve of the trial, Áñez began a hunger strike as part of his strategy to delay the start of the oral trial.

 The head of the Movement Towards Socialism (MAS) bench in the Chamber of Deputies, Gualberto Arispe, immediately described the hunger strike as a political action of victimization, whose objective is to avoid the judicial process.