Bolivian prosecutors: Opposition leader is a flight risk
Published:Thursday | December 29, 2022 | 3:53 PM
LA PAZ, Bolivia (AP) — Prosecutors in Bolivia on Thursday called for Luis Fernando Camacho, the country's main opposition leader, to be remanded in custody for six months in prison while he faces terrorism charges.
Camacho, who is also the governor of the Santa Cruz region, was detained Wednesday, sparking a night of clashes between Camacho supporters and law enforcement officials as protesters torched several public offices and vehicles.
Some roadblocks set up by Camacho allies in Santa Cruz continued to be in place Thursday amid widespread uncertainty in the region over what would become of the opposition leader.
Camacho spent the night in a cell in a police station in the capital of La Paz after he was detained.
Authorities have said Camacho took part in a coup when he helped lead mass protests in 2019 that eventually led to the resignation of then-President Evo Morales following elections that the Organization of American States said were marred by fraud.
The opposition has long disputed the government's characterisation of the 2019 protests as a coup and instead argue that the events were legitimate political protests.
Prosecutors argue Camacho should be held in a La Paz prison because he is a flight risk and could affect an ongoing investigation.
A judge will now have to decide whether Camacho will be remanded in custody and, if so, whether he will be sent to prison or face home detention.
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