Bolivia: Prosecutor Investigate Anez's Self-Declared Presidency

The Bolivian Prosecutor's Office opened an investigation against the former de facto president, Jeanine Áñez, for her alleged irregular proclamation as president of the Senate and her self-proclamation as head of state in 2019, after the coup d'état against Evo Morales.

The information was announced by the coordinator of the Departmental Prosecutor's Office of La Paz, Sergio Bustillos, who explained that "in recent days, the Public Prosecutor's Office has received the complaint by the president of the Senate, Andrónico Rodríguez, against Mrs. Áñez."

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For this reason, his portfolio opened "the investigation for the criminal type of prolongation of functions (...) both as president of the Senate and also as president of the Plurinational State."

After opening this other investigation against Áñez, Bustillos has opened the door to a possible unification of the accumulated accusations against the former de facto president currently being held in a penitentiary center.

According to Andrónico Rodríguez, the objective of this new legal process against Áñez is to know "in what situation the senator (Jeanine Añez) assumed as president of the Senate (in 2019)", since "neither the Political Constitution of the State, nor the regulations of the Chamber of Senators allow it."

The now president of the Senate pointed out, in that sense: "According to the general regulation of senators, the majority block is entitled to the Presidency of the Senate, in this case, Mrs. Añez declared herself president of the Senate and proclaimed herself as president of the State."

At that time, the Movimiento al Socialismo (MAS) had the majority, while Áñez was part of the opposition.

"Bolivia: Public Prosecutor's Office investigates Áñez's presidential proclamation "

Jeanine Áñez remains in prison since March 13, accused of sedition, terrorism and conspiracy for her role in the framework of the 2019 coup d'état and the repression that followed, after President Evo Morales left the country after being accused by the opposition and part of the Armed Forces of electoral fraud.

At the same time as these two processes, in which Añez is accused of having assumed the presidency of the country illegally, the Government is promoting four lawsuits for a trial of responsibilities against her for other alleged crimes committed as de facto president (2019-2020).

The first one refers to the contracting and receipt of credit of US$347 million from the International Monetary Fund without authorization from the Plurinational Legislative Assembly.

A decree raised the second to fight against the pandemic, which was described as a "crime against public health," disseminating information that could cause discomfort or uncertainty in the population. 

The third complaint refers to the direct extension by decree, and not through a bidding process, of the concession to a private consortium of the management of the public registry of companies and the fourth to the impediment of entry to Bolivians returning to the country after the declarations of emergency due to the pandemic in neighboring countries.