Bolivia: Áñez’s family denounces her health deterioration, demands transfer to health clinic

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Jeanine Áñez’s family denounced that the ex-interim president of Bolivia’s health has deteriorated and her blood pressure is “extremely high,” and on Wednesday demanded that the authorities allow her to be urgently transferred to a clinic.

Carolina Ribera, Áñez’s daughter, protested outside the Obrajes Women’s Correctional Center in La Paz, where the ex-interim president is being held, that she “fears” for her mother’s health, who “runs the risk of suffering an embolism.”

“It is a government abuse (…) she has the right to health,” complained Ribera, who confirmed that she will not leave the facility until she is sure that the ex-president is stable.

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Norka Cuéllar, Añez’s attorney confirmed that the ex-interim president’s health had deteriorated “because her blood pressure is very high” due to the hypertension from which she suffers.

Cuellar said she had been notified of the situation by the governor of the Obrajes Women’s Correctional Center, who told her that the ex-president had been suffering from severe headaches all day.”

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“I asked for her to be transferred to a medical center immediately (…) that her daughter Carolina had already arranged everything with the clinic for her care,” said the attorney, complaining about the delay in authorizing the transfer.

The attorney arrived at 4:30 PM local time at the women’s penitentiary, where the media, and people who support the ex-president were present, as well as an ambulance, which left the premises a few hours later.

The ex-interim president had been transferred last Monday to the penitentiary, where she is being held in preventive detention for 4 months while the investigation into the alleged coup is being conducted.

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In accordance with biosecurity protocols due to the pandemic, Áñez is isolated and, according to Cuéllar, she has not been able to receive visits from her children and the only contact she has had in person has been with herself in her capacity as attorney.

Áñez was arrested in the Amazonian department of Beni early Saturday morning and was then transferred to La Paz to the custody cells of the Anti-Crime Force (FELCC) under tight police protection.