Bolivia charges prominent opposition leader with ‘terrorism’ as tensions flare
- Arrest of Bolivian opposition leader Luis Fernando Camacho sets off street clashes between his supporters and security forces
- Camacho is under investigation for an alleged role in the resignation of leftist president Evo Morales in 2019
Bolivian police on Wednesday detained prominent opposition leader Luis Fernando Camacho on charges of “terrorism”, significantly escalating tensions between the national government and Camacho’s base in the Santa Cruz region.
Bolivia’s state attorney’s office confirmed the detention of 43-year-old Camacho, a lawyer and right-wing civic leader who unsuccessfully ran for president in 2020 and is now governor of the affluent farming hub of Santa Cruz.
The office said the arrest was connected to the toppling of former leftist president Evo Morales in 2019. An October arrest warrant accused Camacho of “terrorism” without giving more details.
Camacho’s communications team posted a statement released by the La Paz prosecutor’s office in which he said the accusations against him lacked truth and credibility.
He said he had been “brutally kidnapped” by police and that he was proud of his part in the fight for “freedom and democracy” in Bolivia, according to the statement, which his team posted on his Twitter account.
Evo Morales said on Twitter he hoped Camacho’s detention would bring justice after three years.