International

Bolivian Public Prosecutor’s Office requests 20 years in prison for Jeanine Áñez

Photo: EFE

December 27 |

Bolivia’s Public Prosecutor’s Office presented on Tuesday the formal accusation against the ex-civic Luis Fernando Camacho, the former de facto president, Jeanine Áñez, and six other defendants for the violent actions that resulted in the ouster of former president Evo Morales from power in 2019.

As part of the request of the Public Prosecutor’s Office, the formal accusation was also made for the former Potosí civic official Marco Pumari, the former Minister of Defense, Luis Fernando López, the former commanders of the Armed Forces Williams Kaliman and of the Police Yuri Calderón, as well as the former inspector of the Armed Forces, Jorge Fernández, and the former commander of the armed institution, Carlos Orellana.

The agency requested a 20-year prison sentence for Luis Fernando Camacho and three other defendants. Camacho has been in preventive detention since December 28, 2022 in the maximum security prison of Chonchocoro in La Paz, for the “Coup d’Etat I” case. López, Kaliman and Calderón are fugitives from justice.

Prosecutor Omar Mejillones communicated the presentation of the formal accusation after the investigative process was carried out, in which evidentiary elements were gathered, such as the bank movements of Luis Fernando Camacho during the 2019 conflict, as well as the statement of assistant Williams Kaliman, who denounced the links with Luis Fernando López.

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The Prosecutor’s Office also provided evidence in which Luis Fernando Camacho revealed in a video that his father, José Luis, arranged with military and police officers not to support Evo Morales. Previously, the police officers, in charge of internal security, were insubordinate and the military leadership suggested Morales to abandon the responsibility.

Likewise, 131 declarations of witnesses who participated in meetings and actions during the conflicts of 2019 were contributed to the process, as well as declarations of the accused.

The prosecution has 133 pieces of documentary evidence, including forensic technical reports, hotel invoices, bank statements of money transfers, official letters, responses from State institutions to fiscal requirements, and other evidentiary elements that support the formal accusation.

According to the investigation, it was reported that Jeanine Áñez and Marco Pumari are in preventive detention.

In the case of Áñez, she has an executed sentence of 10 years for the case of Coup d’Etat II or the way in which she took power, in sessions of the Senate and the Legislative Assembly without quorum and outside the line of succession.

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The former deputy of the Movement Towards Socialism (MAS), Lidia Patty, at the end of 2020, filed the accusation to which the Ministry of Government was added. The formal accusation leads to the criminal trial for crimes such as terrorism, which has a sentence of 15 to 20 years in prison, financing of terrorism, active bribery, seduction of troops, public incitement to commit a crime, criminal association and improper use of public goods and services.

International

Florida judge sets 2027 trial in Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against BBC

A federal judge in Florida has scheduled February 2027 for the trial in the lawsuit filed by U.S. President Donald Trump against the BBC, in which he is seeking $10 billion in damages for defamation.

Trump accuses the British broadcaster of airing a misleading edit of a speech he delivered on January 6, 2021, which, he says, made it appear that he explicitly urged his supporters to attack the U.S. Capitol in Washington.

The president filed the suit in December in federal court in Florida, alleging defamation and violations of a law governing business practices when the program was broadcast ahead of the 2024 election.

Trump is seeking $5 billion in damages for each of the two claims.

Lawyers for the BBC unsuccessfully asked the court to dismiss the case, arguing that Trump had not suffered a “legally recognizable harm,” since the investigative program Panorama, which included the edited footage, aired outside the United States.

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International

Head-of-state diplomacy key to guiding China–U.S. ties, Beijing says

Head-of-state diplomacy plays an irreplaceable strategic guiding role in China–United States relations, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Thursday during a regular press briefing, when asked about high-level exchanges between the two sides.

Lin added that in a recent phone call, U.S. President Donald Trump once again expressed his intention to visit China in April, while Chinese President Xi Jinping reiterated his invitation.

Both sides remain in communication regarding the matter, the spokesperson said.

Lin noted that the essence of China–U.S. economic and trade ties lies in mutual benefit and win-win outcomes.

“Both parties should work together to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, injecting greater certainty and stability into China–U.S. economic and trade cooperation, as well as into the global economy,” he said.

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International

Trump administration to end special immigration operation in Minnesota

The administration of Donald Trump is bringing to a close its special operation targeting illegal immigration in the northern state of Minnesota, border czar Tom Homan announced Thursday, following weeks of unrest and the fatal shootings of two activists by federal agents.

Thousands of federal officers had been deployed to Minnesota in December to carry out large-scale raids against undocumented immigrants.

The operations triggered strong reactions from residents and advocacy groups, leading to daily confrontations and the deaths of two people who were shot by federal agents.

“I proposed, and President Trump agreed, that this special operation should end in Minnesota,” Homan said during a press conference in the state capital, Minneapolis.

“A significant drawdown began this week and will continue into next week,” he added.

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Homan indicated that similar enforcement efforts could be launched in other cities.

“Next week we will redeploy the agents currently here back to their home stations or to other parts of the country where they are needed. But we will continue to enforce immigration laws,” he said.