Bolivia’s ruling party launches Gov’t Minister’s presidential bid and has him deal with Evo’s protest
Bolivia’s ruling party launches Gov’t Minister’s presidential bid and has him deal with Evo’s protest
Bolivia’s ruling Movement Towards Socialism (MAS) confirmed Friday that Government (Interior) Minister Eduardo del Castillo would contend for the presidency in August with peasant leader Milán Berna as his running mate. The announcement came after President Luis Arce Catacora said he would not be seeking reelection to appease the already heated country.
In this scenario, del Castillo’s first job was to handle a march of Evo Morales followers into La Paz to protest against a court ruling banning their leader from seeking yet another term at the helm of the executive.
While MAS Chairman Grover García joined Arce’s appeal for the left to unite, the Evistas turned a deaf ear and staged a walk into the city. Although Morales himself was not in that number, some of his acolytes, such as peasant leader Ponciano Santos, were and ended up arrested.
We have here our brother Eduardo del Castillo, and we have Milán Berna, the only candidates that, with strength, are going to deepen democracy, García said. But the lawyer del Castillo, who will be turning 37 in December, emphasized that the Bolivian people [were] asking for order.
Not long thereafter, he confirmed Santos’ arrest on social media: The population is informed of the apprehension of Ponciano Santos. Information in development. Bolivia needs order and that is what we are going to give it! he insisted after the demonstrators were gassed by law enforcement forces.
Bolivian authorities also mentioned two other arrest warrants had been issued against peasant Evista leaders for the crimes of terrorism, armed uprising, and damage to state property, allegedly committed during the road blockade last year, but neither had been executed.
Santos challenged the Police and the Government to arrest marchers. ”I have just arrived, I am going to be in front of the TSE, if they want to kill us and want to intervene us, let the government authorities come, like Luis Arce, David Choquehuanca, Minister ‘Sonia’ (Eduardo del Castillo), Vice Minister (Jhonny) Aguilera, he said defiantly.
Asked why Santos had not yet been arrested, Police Chief Augusto Russo asked reporters to let the force work, eventually yielding to pressure and detaining the wanted suspect.
Thousands of sisters and brothers who were making a peaceful demonstration – demanding respect for democratic rights – were brutally repressed by hundreds of police officers of the current government, Morales posted on Facebook. Morales was expected to participate in the march to register his presidential candidacy, but eventually changed his mind.
We ask international organizations for a visit to Bolivia to investigate the State Terrorism that is lived with human rights violations, undue detentions, such as that of our brother, National Executive of the (CSUTCB), Ponciano Santos,” he also wrote.
