Former Pres. Arce jailed, prosecutor seeks three‑month detention

teleSUR English

Former Pres. Arce jailed, prosecutor seeks three‑month detention 2/12/2025 FTS 06.30 In Bolivia, the prosecutor's office investigating an alleged embezzlement of the indigenous fund has requested three months of preventive detention for former president Luis Arce, who was arrested Wednesday in La Paz.   teleSUR.  These and more stories now!  🌐Join teleSUR's community and be part of a space where your ideas matter.  https://chat.whatsapp.com/KLABTE41aSj3ioYabXQQ6K 🗣 Don't be left behind, join teleSUR's Channel https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va98Z437Noa2tjytCt1N Web💬 https://www.telesurenglish.net/ X🧶 https://twitter.com/telesurenglish Instagram 📸 https://www.instagram.com/telesurenglish/?hl=es Facebook 📱 https://www.facebook.com/teleSUREnglishOfficial Youtube ⏯ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmuTmpLY35O3csvhyA6vrkg Tiktok👌🏼 https://www.tiktok.com/@telesurenglish?_t=8hMLCY0a6z7&_r=1

Transcript

00:00Now in Bolivia, the Prosecutor's Office investigating an alleged investment of the Indigenous Fund

00:05has requested three months of preventive detention for former President Luis Arce,

00:10who was arrested Wednesday in La Paz.

00:12Analysts warned that repiving this case may amount to an early act of political persecution by the new government.

00:20Our correspondent, Freddy Morales, has the details.

00:22Former President Luis Arce remains in custody at this police facility following his arrest on Wednesday.

00:33The Prosecutor handling the case has requested that he be held for three months in a prison located 30 kilometers outside the city.

00:43The investigations established responsibility on the part of Mr. Luis Arce as former minister,

00:48since he was the one who financed, executed, and approved disbursements into private accounts for projects that we never completed.

00:55As for the economic damage, based on the documentation currently held by the Public Prosecutor's Office,

01:01we are talking about nine minutes, but that's only a preliminary figure.

01:04The total amount is still known.

01:08The investigation into the case known as the Indigenous Fund dates back more than eight years

01:14and has already been examined both in court and by the Legislative Assembly.

01:19It has now been reopened with former President Luis Arce as the main accused,

01:24along with arrest warrants issued for five other individuals.

01:28We don't want to believe that the government of Rodrigo Paz

01:31carried out this arrest as smoke cream to cover up the crisis that continues to affect the Bolivian people.

01:35We're still standing in lines. This is still short of a few.

01:42And this is what they should be focusing on.

01:47Political analysis has warned that the arrest of former President Luis Arce to reopen investigations

01:52was an early and ill-advised decision.

01:58Rodrigo Paz has repeatedly said that first there should be an investigation and then prosecution.

02:03But in this case, what has been done is to first arrest the former President

02:10and now, presumably, investigate.

02:17I do not believe that this is a viable political course of action.

02:25Following the arrest of the former President,

02:27allies of the center-right government launched a campaign calling for former President,

02:32Evo Morales, who governed the country in 2018,

02:36to also be included in the case and detained.

02:42Evo Morales is also being summoned, initially as a witness.

02:45But when a prosecutor says, first as a witness,

02:48it is clear that later he'll be treated as a defendant.

02:51It is unfortunate that the Paz Pereira government

02:53has chosen to take these accelerated steps

02:56at a time when it could have played a different role.

02:59The administration has a very contradictory internal composition.

03:03It is not a cohesive government.

03:05It even has a major rival within its own ranks,

03:09the Vice President himself.

03:10I believe this is a political mistake,

03:13regardless of the legal form they try to give it.

03:15Conflicting figures surround the Indigenous Fund case.

03:23The Minister of Government stated that there was mismanagement of about $50 million,

03:28a sum that could rise to $700 million,

03:31and said former President Luis Arce would face charges for five crimes.

03:36In contrast, the prosecutor's indictment cites to alleged offenses,

03:40and an economic loss of just over $1 million.

03:44Freddy Morales, Telesur, Bolivia.

Category

Transcript

Be the first to comment

Recommended