Community Citizen maintains that the "partialization of justice is reprehensible." In the Movement Towards Socialism they state that no one will be undermined, be it from the ruling party or the opposition side
Five cases show that the administration of justice system is implacable with opponents, but does not act in the case of pro-government supporters. The opposition points out that justice is biased and applies a "double standard" in its actions. The Movement Towards Socialism (MAS), on the other hand, indicates that those who commit crimes should be punished, regardless of their strength.
“When it comes to an opposition mayor, whoever he is, they immediately act, which is not bad. So, with that speed, you should act with everyone. But when it comes to their mayors, their authorities, they do not act. This partialization of justice is reprehensible”, declared Senator Andrea Barrientos, of the Citizen Community (CC).
From the MAS, deputy Sandro Ramírez said that those who commit crimes should be punished, regardless of the party they are from. “The message from our brother president Luis Arce has been clear: that all those who commit crimes will not be undermined, will not be hidden, must be punished, whether they belong to any political party, whether they are from the opposition or from the ruling party” , assured.
The Santos and Mamani cases
The governor of La Paz, Santos Quispe (Jallalla), was caught Tuesday night with alcoholic beverages and in a drunken state in his office. He was apprehended and transferred to police cells. The Prosecutor's Office charged him with the alleged commission of the crimes of improper use of public goods and services and obstruction of justice.
On Thursday, in the precautionary hearing, the First Anti-Corruption Court determined his house arrest with the right to work, a root and, in addition, set a bail of 70,000 bolivianos and a prohibition to consume alcoholic beverages.
The same did not happen in Potosí, where the case of the irregular purchase of 41 ambulances for 20.5 million Bolivians broke out. The contract was signed between Governor Jhonny Mamani (MAS) and the supplier company Estefals Logistics, on November 26, 2021.
The Potosi Government denounced 17 subordinates and opened a process against the supplier company, but did not take any action against Mamani. On the other hand, the Prosecutor's Office did not act ex officio, but there are two complaints that were admitted.
Arias and Chavez
The same day that Iván Arias (Somos Pueblo) was released as mayor of the city of La Paz, on May 4, 2021, he was summoned to a hearing in the framework of the case of an alleged irregular appointment in the position of director of the Center for Communications La Paz, when he was serving as Minister of Public Works (December 2019 - November 2020).
The Prosecutor charged Arias for the alleged commission of the crimes of breach of duties and others. On June 18, 2021, in a precautionary hearing, Judge Claudia Castro determined his arrest and a bail of 30,000 bolivianos.
The opposition asks that attorney Wilfredo Chávez be prosecuted in the same way, because on February 2 it was learned that Ibert René Renato Aguilar Mamani, sentenced since 2017 for improper exercise of the profession, works as general director of administrative affairs in the Attorney General's Office of the Condition. However, the Prosecutor's Office did not comment on the matter.
The conviction against Aguilar was finalized in January and the Constitution, in its article 234, establishes that in order to access the performance of public functions it is required not to have a finalized charge sheet, nor a finalized conviction in criminal matters.
Ghost Items and Las Londras
The Ghost Items case broke out in November 2021, as a result of a complaint filed by Valeria Rodríguez against her ex-partner Antonio Parada, former director of Human Resources of the Santa Cruz Mayor's Office. That complaint revealed the existence of 800 ghost items.
The action of the State Attorney General's Office (FGE) entered the scene on December 3, when it formed a "special commission", which it sent from Sucre (Chuquisaca) so that it can "carry out an inspection and supervision" of the case. On December 5, the Government announced that it would join as a plaintiff, and on November 19, former President Evo Morales told Attorney General Juan Lanchipa: “It is time to put order” in the case.
After that statement, days later, former mayor Angélica Sosa (Santa Cruz Para Todos) was arrested and on December 24, a judge sent her to Palmasola for preventive detention.
The FGE did not send a "special commission" from Sucre for the Las Londras case. The incident occurred on October 28, in the ranch called Las Londras, in Guarayos (Santa Cruz), when journalists from five media outlets, in addition to police and civilians, were illegally held for seven hours by an irregular group. The communicators went to the place to verify reports of subjugation. A day later, the Prosecutor's Office opened the investigation.
Contradictions arose about the incident and its alleged link with the Interculturals, one of the MAS organizations. On October 31, the leader Isidro Patzi supported "those comrades" who entered "to grab a piece of land." However, on November 2, another intercultural leader, Guido Cuadrado, stated that "we don't even have an intercultural person on that property."
On November 24, 2021, the Police presented Heber Sixto Canaza as the main accused of leading the kidnapping in Las Londras. However, more than three months have passed and no progress has been made in the investigations, as journalists from Santa Cruz stated on January 28, when they protested with a sit-in at the Command.
Revilla and Vera
The Public Ministry issued an arrest warrant against former mayor Luis Revilla (Sol.Bo), on January 24, the same day that Jesús Vera, a neighborhood leader and former MAS candidate, said that the Prosecutor's Office should issue an arrest warrant against the former authority.
Five days later, Revilla declared himself in hiding, before his wife was summoned to testify in the framework of the case in which Vera accuses the former mayor of buying the PumaKatari buses at an overpriced price.
Vera, president of the Federation of Neighborhood Councils of La Paz related to MAS, is the main accused of the burning of 66 PumaKatari buses, which occurred on the night of November 10, 2019. The complaint was filed on November 15, 2019 by the alleged commission of the crimes of criminal organization, public incitement to commit a crime, destruction or deterioration of State property and national wealth, and aggravated robbery. The neighborhood leader is under house arrest, which the municipality denounces that he violated.
Colcapirhua case
On Thursday, the mayor of Colcapirhua, Nelson Gallinate (CC), was arrested after his offices were raided. He is accused of the alleged irregular purchase of nasal antigen tests for the diagnosis of covid.
The CC management suspended Gallinate while the investigation continues and clarifies his alleged involvement. The alliance also expressed its distrust in the judicial system and prosecutors, for their way of acting.
“We maintain our distrust in the actions of the justice system and the prosecutors, clearly controlled by the MAS, who act in a totally servile and biased manner in cases such as that of the Governor of Potosí, who is protected and managed, while They intervene with imprisonment and spectacular police actions, in other events that have to do with opposition authorities,” said CC.
