Who is the arrested leader of opposition Bolivia
2022.12.29 00:38
Who is the arrested leader of opposition Bolivia
Budrigannews.com – On Wednesday, prominent opposition leader Luis Fernando Camacho was detained, heightening tensions between the government in La Paz and the opposition in Santa Cruz, a wealthy farming center.
How much do we know about Camacho’s past?
The 43-year-old Santa Cruz governor is a lawyer who used to be a civic leader. He ran for president in 2020 in the first elections after President Evo Morales was ousted, but he didn’t get enough support and finished in third place.
The right-wing governor, who was frequently seen at protests carrying a bible and a rosary around his neck, led some of the demonstrations calling for Morales to step down from power in 2019, winning over some of the electorate.
On Wednesday, the Bolivian state attorney stated that the arrest of Camacho was connected to the 2019 overthrow of Morales.
In more recent times, he has supported a series of protests in Santa Cruz that began toward the end of October and called for the national government to move forward with a delayed census. The wealthy farming region would likely receive more congressional seats and tax revenues from a new census.
According to the government, elites and economic groups attempting to take control of Santa Cruz support Camacho.
How does Camacho perceive the government?
In a video message posted on social media on Tuesday, Camacho stated that he has been at odds with President Luis Arce’s leftist government for a long time and has sought a federal model of governance for Bolivia in order to avoid “abuses of power by the central government.”
“We will advocate for the federal route. “A federalism so that the ruling party, MAS, respects the way of life of each province,” Camacho stated. “We want federalism to unify Bolivia.”
Edgar Montano, Minister of Public Works, said that Camacho planned more protests and violations of human rights that would hurt Santa Cruz people.
After Camacho’s arrest, Montano wrote on Twitter, “The prayers of all the victims of the 2019 coup d’état and the protests of Mr Camacho were heard, and now… we hope that he will answer for the crimes he is accused of.”
Why is Santa Cruz the opposition’s focal point?
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Santa Cruz, one of Bolivia’s wealthiest and most populous regions, has long fought with La Paz, the country’s political center.
Santa Cruz’s status as a top export hub over metal-producing regions like La Paz and Potosi has led to calls for an increase in its share of tax revenues as a result of rising soy and beef exports.
Costing hundreds of millions of dollars, the census protests have halted goods transportation from the region.
The government of Acre claims that the protesters were led by members of Santa Cruz’s elite and hurt the economy, which was already hurt by the war in Ukraine.
