Bolivia’s former interim president faces an arrest warrant for terrorism and sedition as prosecutors move against officials who supported the removal of former leader Evo Morales, who his party – now back in power – considers a coup.
“Political persecution has begun,” said Jeanine Áñez, who headed a conservative government that took power after Morales resigned in November 2019.
Áñez said on Friday that the ruling Movement for Socialism party “decided to revert to the style of dictatorships”.
The announcement came after warrants issued on Thursday to the former head of the Armed Forces and the police, who had urged Morales to resign amid national protests for his re-election, which opponents insisted was fraudulent.
Álvaro Coimbra, who was Áñez’s minister of justice, said on Twitter that he also faces an arrest warrant and that one of his deputy ministers has been arrested.
After nearly 13 years in office, Morales flew into exile in November 2019 at the request of police and military leaders and Áñez, who was several steps down the line of succession, took power when his superiors also resigned.
The interim authorities themselves tried to prosecute Morales and important members of his government, accusing them of rigging an election and illegally repressing dissent.
But Morales’ party won the elections again with his chosen successor, Luis Arce, and the former leader returned home.
The decision to arrest ex-general William Kaliman and ex-police chief Iván Calderón was denounced by the independent Permanent Assembly for Human Rights in Bolivia, a group that originally emerged to confront military dictatorships in the 1970s and 1980s.
Both Morales’ allies and enemies claim they were victims of deadly persecution before or after being forced out of office.
Kaliman and Calderón said that only Morales’ resignation could pacify the polarized nation. Kaliman, who had been nominated by Morales, was replaced shortly after the leftist left.
Also under investigation is Luis Fernando Camacho, governor-elect of the province of Santa Cruz, who was one of the main supporters of the effort to remove Morales. Neither he nor Áñez are still facing arrest warrants. Official efforts to question Camacho on Thursday were halted when a large number of his followers appeared in court.