BOLIVIA · ELECTIONS
Bolivia’s top election body is split in public over a scandal that runs from the courts to a small-town mayor’s race. Its president, Gustavo Ávila, denies any coordination with former chief justice Rómer Saucedo, while fellow member Carlos Alberto Goitia says the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) is in a “deep crisis”, Erbol, a Bolivian radio network, reported on Friday 13 November 2026.
The row began on Thursday 12 November after a detained former judge told prosecutors, in an unproven claim, that Saucedo worked with Ávila to help his uncle win the March mayoral vote in San Ignacio de Velasco, a town in eastern Bolivia, Infobae, an Argentine news site, reported. Ávila told Erbol that any coordination was “absolutely false”.
Key Facts
- Who TSE president Gustavo Ávila and fellow tribunal member Carlos Alberto Goitia disagree publicly on the tribunal’s health.
- The claim Detained ex-judge Aldo Quezada says ex-chief justice Rómer Saucedo coordinated with Ávila. Ávila denies it.
- Where The claim concerns the 22 March 2026 mayoral election in San Ignacio de Velasco, eastern Bolivia.
- Status The claims are untested; Ávila says the tribunal will submit its San Ignacio de Velasco documents.
- Power Index Bolivia ranks 13th of 14 in The Rio Times Latin America Power Index, with 27.9 points (November 2026 edition).
What the Detained Judge Told Prosecutors
Aldo Quezada, former president of the Santa Cruz departmental court of justice, is held in an inquiry that El Deber, a Bolivian daily, links to drug-trafficking offences and to the so-called Maletas (“suitcases”) case, which it does not describe. In a statement to prosecutors, cited by Infobae, he said, in words attributed to him, that Saucedo “moved heaven, sea and earth” so that his uncle would become mayor of San Ignacio de Velasco.
Quezada also said Saucedo, the former president of the Supreme Tribunal of Justice, Bolivia’s top court for ordinary law, was in constant coordination with Ávila, El Deber reported. Infobae added that, in Quezada’s account, a constitutional court chamber then removed ASIP, a local party leading in the race, from the ballot.
The mayoral race was won on 22 March 2026 by the candidate of Creemos, a political alliance, Infobae reported.
What Ávila Says
Speaking by phone from the Dominican Republic, where he was at a meeting of electoral authorities organised by the Organization of American States, Ávila told El Deber: “We never coordinated those issues. We complied with the ruling that the Constitutional Court issued.”
He said that failing to comply with a ruling would be a crime and that every tribunal decision is taken by its members together, El Deber reported. Ávila told El Deber he would cooperate if prosecutors call him.
Separately, Unitel, a Bolivian television network, reported on 12 November that he said electoral officials were summoned to more than 90 amparo hearings (court actions to defend a constitutional right) during the elections. He also said Quezada must prove what he says or risk damaging people’s dignity, eju.tv, a Bolivian news site, reported.
What the Court Records Show
El Deber traced the decisions in the documents. On 19 February 2026 a first constitutional chamber ordered the Santa Cruz departmental electoral tribunal to rule on a complaint about the parties’ legal status.
On 27 February that tribunal cancelled the registrations of ASIP and a second party, Seguridad, Orden y Libertad (SOL), because neither reached 3% of valid votes in the 2021 regional elections, El Deber reported. On 10 March the TSE confirmed the decision on appeal.
The documents show the chain of rulings but cannot show whether anyone coordinated behind it.
A Member Says the Tribunal Is in “Deep Crisis”
Goitia told Erbol that the tribunal has been in a deep crisis since January, when disputes began over which candidates and parties could run in the regional elections. Ávila rejected that view and said complaints against electoral officials are under investigation, with no sanctions applied.
Goitia also challenged an award that Ávila gave this year to Roger Mariaca, Bolivia’s former attorney general. He said the full bench never approved it and that he wrote on 3 November to ask for clarification.
Ávila answered that the award went to the Attorney General’s Office as an institution, not to the man, and that the tribunal also honoured the police, the armed forces and the ombudsman’s office. Erbol reported that Mariaca and Saucedo are both subjects of investigations into alleged drug-trafficking links, which remain allegations.
Goitia used the phrase “political hitmen” for people who filed constitutional-protection actions to disqualify candidates, and said Saucedo backed them. Ávila said he would not use that term, and Goitia’s claim has not been tested.
Santa Cruz Governor Joins In
Juan Pablo Velasco, governor of Santa Cruz department, said his political group, Libre, was warned it could lose its registration if it fielded Christian Méndez as its mayoral candidate, and that Méndez was later disqualified, Infobae reported. Velasco asked for an investigation of judges and officials, Infobae added.
Erbol reported that Ávila pointed out that the governor himself said the tribunal’s presidency did not give in to those threats.
What It Means for You
The TSE runs Bolivia’s elections, so public doubts about its independence matter to anyone judging the country’s political risk. Nothing here is proven: the claims come from a detained witness and a tribunal member, and Ávila denies them.
The case fits a wider run of judicial scandals, including our reports on Saucedo’s departure and the detention of Mariaca. Our guide to who holds power in Bolivia explains where the tribunals sit.
What Is Not Known
It is not known whether prosecutors will call Ávila or other tribunal members, or whether Quezada’s statement rests on evidence beyond his word. The reports also do not say whether the full bench will discuss Goitia’s letter on the Mariaca award.
Ávila says the tribunal will submit its documents on San Ignacio de Velasco, but no date for that has been announced. No response from Saucedo or Quezada’s lawyers appears in the cited reports.
More: Bolivia news in English, every day from The Rio Times, and the Latin America Power Map.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is the TSE in Bolivia?
The Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) is Bolivia’s top election authority. Its president is Gustavo Ávila.
What Does Gustavo Ávila Say About the Claim?
Ávila denies ever coordinating candidate disqualifications with Rómer Saucedo and says the tribunal followed court rulings. He says he is ready to cooperate with prosecutors.
Who Is Rómer Saucedo?
Saucedo is the former president of Bolivia’s Supreme Tribunal of Justice, the top court for ordinary law. Infobae reports that he declared himself in exile; the claims against him are untested allegations.
Sources: Infobae, report on the San Ignacio de Velasco claim, 13 November 2026; El Deber, interview with Gustavo Ávila and court records, 12 November 2026; Unitel, Ávila rules out coordination with Saucedo, 12 November 2026; eju.tv, Ávila on legal action against Quezada, 12 November 2026; Erbol, tribunal split over the Mariaca award, 13 November 2026.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated AI newsroom. Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief. The Rio Times also runs Ask Rio Times, which answers from 100,000+ of our own articles, the daily Latin America Power Map, and prediction-market odds on elections and markets.. How we use AI · Report an error