Opinion: new evidence exculpates former Bolivian President Jeanine Áñez

By Nitu Pérez Osuna*

The use of the judiciary as an organ of persecution at the service of the Bolivian executive and its MAS party (Movement toward Socialism) is becoming increasingly evident.

Two recent news items shed new light on the unjust imprisonment of former president Jeanine Áñez, arrested on the orders of coca growers’ leader Evo Morales, for allegedly having perpetrated a “coup d’état”.

The first refers to a report prepared by the US State Department for the US Congress, which ratifies the Organization of American States (OAS) report on the irregularities detected in the October 2019 elections, when Evo Morales sought a fourth term in office.

Let’s remember that on the night of October 20, 2019, the Bolivian Preliminary Results Transmission System stopped when it was evident that a second round would have to be held between the then-candidate and president Evo Morales and his contender Carlos Mesa.

When the system was restored, an astonishing trend change occurred. Morales would win in the first round.

Then, thousands of Bolivians took to the streets to demonstrate against the alleged fraud. The elections were annulled.

Morales resigned and fled the country.

The State Department report confirms that the OAS audit team ‘found irregularities’ in the computer system of the Preliminary Results Transmission Center (TREP) and the final results, and in the electoral chain of custody, the legality and integrity of the results forms, and observations on the final trend of the results.

Put in simpler words: in the 2019 presidential elections, Evo Morales perpetrated a monumental fraud that, when detected, forced the formation of a provisional government, constitutionally headed by Jeanine Áñez and endorsed by MAS, Morales’ party.

Therefore, there was no such “coup d’état”.

The second news item refers to a report prepared by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) related to the executions in the Las Americas Hotel in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, registered in April 2009.

The IACHR states that the State, then governed by Evo Morales, committed extrajudicial executions, tortured the detainees for alleged “terrorism”, and held the accused for 6 to 10 years in preventive detention.

Hours later, the then President Morales arrived in Venezuela and, together with the now deceased Hugo Chávez, gave a press conference in Caracas, “where he informed that he gave ‘instructions’ to the then Vice President, Álvaro García Linera and through him to the Commander of the Police to carry out an operation to arrest these mercenaries,” in which Venezuelan officials participated.

As can be observed, Evo Morales manifests a systematic behavior of persecution of his adversaries, which was also previously reflected in the Pando massacre.

The imprisonment of Jeanine Áñez is one more link in the long chain of human rights violations and crimes against humanity perpetrated by the coca growers’ leader.

In this sense, it is very positive that the deputy and spokesperson of Vox in the Assembly of Madrid, Rocio Monasterio, has decided to “sponsor” Jeanine Añez and has promised to obtain her freedom after being imprisoned by Evo Morales.

It is a project for the release of Latin American political prisoners promoted by the Casla Institute, headed by the Venezuelan Tamara Suju.

“I want to sponsor Jeanine Añez in Bolivia, repressed by Evo Morales, for defending freedom, her people, fundamental rights, in the face of totalitarianism.

“We will not stop denouncing, we will not stop defending freedom, and we will not stop fighting against communism and totalitarianism, and we will get you released.

Courage, we are here for you”, published on her Twitter account, the assemblywoman of the Spanish party.

With information from Gaceta

* Venezuelan. A journalist by profession, communicator by trade, and activist for the best causes by vocation. She was a columnist, and radio and television host in her country of origin. Currently, she has established herself as a powerful ‘YouTuber’ in “El canal de Nitu” and “Plomovisión 24: horas de opinión”. She is an international organizational communication consultant.

She is a freedom fighter and a relentless researcher searching for the truth.