BOLIVIA · COURTS
Key Facts
- Who Rómer Saucedo, until this month head of Bolivia’s highest ordinary court, says he is in exile.
- What On Saturday 14 November 2026 he denied drug ties and asked President Rodrigo Paz to end his “persecution”.
- The case Prosecutors ordered his arrest on 3 November for drug trafficking and criminal organisation; he has not been convicted.
- The charge The government says he helped shield a 31-suitcase marijuana shipment from the United States in November 2025.
- Power Index Bolivia ranks 13th of 14 in The Rio Times Latin America Power Index, with 27.9 points (November 2026 edition).
Bolivia’s most senior judge until this month says he is the victim of a political hunt, and he wants the president to stop it. On Saturday 14 November 2026, Rómer Saucedo, the former president of the Supreme Tribunal of Justice, wrote on social media that he never took part in drug trafficking.
The Supreme Tribunal is Bolivia’s highest court for ordinary law, meaning everyday civil and criminal cases. For US readers the case matters because prosecutors say the drugs in question were flown in from the United States, and because investors in Bolivia depend on its courts.
What Saucedo Said
Saucedo posted his message on Saturday 14 November 2026 and addressed it to President Rodrigo Paz. He wrote that Paz “can stop this persecution” and said he was begging the president to intervene against what he called abuses by people inside Paz’s own government.
He wrote that he never had control or command over the civil aviation authority, the airport operator, the customs service or the national anti-drug police. He also said he was a friend and work colleague of a former judge, but denied that this links him to any crime.
Saucedo said authorities are looking for scapegoats to cover their own mistakes. He added that some people were forced to testify against him and that he understands and forgives them.
The Case Against Him
Prosecutors in the specialised anti-narcotics unit signed an arrest order for Saucedo dated Tuesday 3 November 2026. It covers drug trafficking and criminal organisation, and the order cites a drug law that carries 10 to 25 years in prison.
Acting Attorney General José Armando Urioste confirmed the order and said steps toward international arrest warrants were under way. Saucedo said on Wednesday 4 November that he had left Bolivia with his family and that he feared for his life and liberty.
The Government’s Version
Government Minister Marco Oviedo, who oversees the police, said on Friday 6 November 2026 that Saucedo and former Attorney General Roger Mariaca led a criminal structure. He said it organised and protected the arrival of 31 suitcases of marijuana from the United States in November 2025.
Oviedo said Saucedo gave the group institutional protection from inside the judiciary. Mariaca is in custody in a separate narcotics investigation, and our reporting has not found a public answer from him to these claims.
What It Means for You
If you invest in or do business with Bolivia, the case is a reminder to watch its court system, because a drug-corruption scandal now touches its highest court. Judicial independence is one of the risks that investors weigh.
Travellers to Bolivia face no new rules because of this case. The government must now prove its claims in court, and no court has ruled yet.
What Is Not Known
It is not known where Saucedo is, and no court has ruled on the charges. Reports that he went to Brazil are unconfirmed.
We found no public reply from President Paz to the appeal of 14 November. On 5 November he said only that time would clarify the reasons for Saucedo’s departure.
More: Bolivia news in English, every day from The Rio Times. Earlier reports: the new Supreme Tribunal president and the suitcases case plea deal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who Is Rómer Saucedo?
He was president of Bolivia’s Supreme Tribunal of Justice, the highest court for ordinary law. He says he left the country on 4 November 2026 and is in exile.
Is Saucedo Charged With a Crime?
Prosecutors ordered his arrest on 3 November 2026 for drug trafficking and criminal organisation. No court has convicted him, and he denies every accusation.
What Is the Suitcases Case?
It concerns 31 suitcases that the government says held marijuana flown in from the United States in November 2025. The investigation has reached judges, prosecutors and former officials.
Sources: Public statement by Rómer Saucedo on social media, 14 November 2026; Public Prosecutor's Office of Bolivia (Fiscalía General, the state prosecution service), arrest resolution dated 3 November 2026 and statements by Acting Attorney General José Armando Urioste; Ministry of Government of Bolivia, statements by Minister Marco Oviedo, 6 November 2026; statement by President Rodrigo Paz, 5 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