Bolivia’s former interim president is facing an arrest warrant for terrorism and rioting, while prosecutors take action against officials supporting the expulsion of former leader Evo Morales, who considers his party – now back in power – a coup .
“The political persecution has begun,” said Jeanine Áñez, who led a Conservative government that took power after Morales resigned in November 2019.
Áñez said Friday the ruling Movement Toward Socialism party “has decided to return to the style of dictatorship”.
The announcement follows warrants issued Thursday for the former chief of staff and police, urging Morales to resign amid national protests over his re-election, urging opponents to cheat.
Álvaro Coimbra, who served as justice minister under Áñez, said on Twitter that he was also facing an arrest warrant and that one of his deputy ministers had been arrested.
After nearly 13 years in the presidency, Morales flew into exile in November 2019 at the insistence of police and military leaders and Áñez, who was already several steps in succession, took power when those above her also resigned.
The interim authorities tried to prosecute Morales and key members of his government, accusing them of hampering an election and illegally suppressing disagreement.
But Morales’ party won the election again under his chosen successor, Luis Arce, and the former leader returned home.
The decision to arrest former General William Kaliman and former police chief Iván Calderón was challenged by the independent permanent assembly of Bolivia’s human rights group, a group that originally emerged to support military dictatorships in the 1970s. and 1980s.
Both allies and enemies of Morales claim to have been the victims of deadly persecution, either before or after he was forced out of office.
Kaliman and Calderón said that only the resignation of Morales could calm the polarized nation. Kaliman, who was appointed by Morales, was replaced shortly after the left left.
Luis Fernando Camacho, elected governor of the province of Santa Cruz, is also being investigated, which was a major support for the attempt to remove Morales. Neither he nor Áñez have yet received warrants for arrests. Official attempts to question Camacho on Thursday were suspended when a large number of his followers appeared in the courthouse.