Bolivia Weekly » Law & Justice

Sanabria’s Son Arrested

admin — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 12:50:43 +0000

The Public Ministry announced today the arrest of former general Rene Sanabria’s son, Víctor Hugo Sanabria Nava. Rene Sanabria, who at the time was an intelligence advisor to Evo Morales, was caught by the Chilean secret police trying to sell over $5 million worth of cocaine. Sara Villaroel, a prosecutor in the Sanabria case announced, “We have found enough indicators of these crimes to order his arrest.”

To learn more in Spanish see: http://www.erbol.com.bo/noticia.php?identificador=2147483954923

11 Bolivians Arrested in Chile for Car Smuggling

admin — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 12:12:27 +0000

Eleven Bolivians were arrested yesterday in Chile on the suspicion of trafficking black market cars over the border to Bolivia. The group had ten cars and a large truck, none of which had valid passes or registrations. The group was stopped in the small town of Cariquima in northern Chile. The elven are between the ages of 21 and 41 and have been placed in the custody of the Chilean customs service.

To learn more in Spanish see: http://www.eldiario.net/noticias/2012/2012_01/nt120130/principal.php?n=81&detienen-en-chile-a-11-bolivianos-por-supuesto-contrabando

Doubt Remains of New Communications Law

admin — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 02:42:28 +0000

The Minister of Communication, Amanda Dávila, guaranteed on Sunday that the Publishing Tribunal and Publishing Law of 1925 will be maintained despite her governments plans to make a new communications law. “The spirit, the foundation of the Publishing Law is absolutely valid, and we will absolutely respect this,” she said. She then said that since the Publishing Law is no longer valid but that Evo Morales’ government will respect the freedom of expression and of information. “What we’re trying to say is that journalists are defending a law that no longer applies, it’s not valid because it doesn’t apply, it only applies in principle.” Dávila said that the government won’t make a new Communications Law until journalism associations in Bolivia propose their own.

To learn more in Spanish see: http://www.erbol.com.bo/noticia.php?identificador=2147483954773

Chilean Tourist Dies In Copacabana

admin — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 13:08:29 +0000

Three young Chileans were on vacation in Copacabana on the shores of Lake Titicaca when one of them, Sergio Gachón began feeling ill. In the small town hospital they prescribed Gachón penicillin without ascertaining that Gachón had a severe penicillin allergy. Gachón died later that day in his hostel. Gachón’s family said that this was a case of medical negligence while Chile consul in Bolivia said that a full investigation and repatriation of the remains were pending.

To learn more in Spanish see: http://www.eldeber.net/eldeber.htm

Coca Growers Expel Military

admin — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 03:32:10 +0000

A coca field planted in the Yungas region of La Paz.

Today roughly 400 coca growers including men, women and children from the four towns of La Asunta, Litoral, Río Cajones y Puerto Rico in the Sud Yungasregion of the La Paz Department have expelled 20 soldiers from a nearby base where they were patrolling for illegal coca. Locals complain of illegal detentions and physical aggressions by the soldiers. The soldier in command decided to abandon their outpost when he was threatened by farmers wielding pickaxes and sticks. Pascual Mamani, the secretary general of La Asunta’s farmer’s union said to Radio Erbol that they had been “submitted to abuses and violations of their rights” and that Evo Morales’ military had violated its agreements but did not mention specifics.

The Yungas region has been producing coca for ceremonial uses and chewing for thousands of years whereas the Chaparé region has been more recently colonized by coca growers and is known for strong links with the drug trade. Mamani said, “We producers of the sacred leaf are here and we are not going to permit rationing (it’s production) because this is how we make our living. Since we have supported the national government, we ask that they respect our rights as coca producers in this traditional zone.” Locals roughed up Erbol reporter Daysi Poma who was covering today’s events, stealing her camera and cell phone, which she later recovered when other locals recognized her.

To learn more in Spanish see: http://www.erbol.com.bo/noticia.php?identificador=2147483954009

Costas Fights Against Contempt Charges

Matthew Grace — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 16:37:00 +0000

Yesterday, the defense team for Rubén Costas, the embattled governor of Santa Cruz department, presented a new legal appeal in order for him to evade being convicted for contempt of court.

Richard Cardozo, Costas’ lawyer, appeared in front of the Seventh Criminal Court in La Paz in order to present a new appeal, the so-called “purge of contempt,” with which he hopes to avoid contempt charges for his client.

This past December 20, Cardozo presented his first appeal, “for extreme faultiness,” calling into question the competence of Judge Orlando Rojas, in order to annul a declaration of contempt against Costas.

Costas was subpoenaed to appeal in a La Paz court as a witness for the alleged separatist plot that was discovered in April 2009, resulting in the death of three alleged mercenaries and the imprisonment of two others. The contempt charges against Costas stem from his refusal to testify in La Paz; he has said that departmental autonomy should allow him to testify in Santa Cruz.

To learn more in Spanish see:

http://www.erbol.com.bo/noticia.php?identificador=2147483953812

Argentine Dirty War Fugitive Captured in Santa Cruz

Matthew Grace — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 17:28:10 +0000

Argentine ex-military officer Luis Enrique Baraldini was extradited to Argentina on Christmas day, after authorities detained him in Santa Cruz. He was turned over to Argentine authorities at the border town of Bermejo.

Baraldini, 71, was wanted in Argentina for crimes against humanity committed during that country’s dirty war in the 70s and 80s, in which thousands of citizens were murdered and “disappeared” by the ruling military junta.

Baraldini was living in Santa Cruz since 2003 under the assumed name Marco Antonio Aponte. He was a high level police chief during the Argentine dictatorship, and afterward he was a leader in the “carapintadas,” a group of ex-military officers opposed to the democratic government of Raúl Alfonsin and Carlos Menem.

To learn more in Spanish see:

http://www.la-razon.com/nacional/Capturan-expulsan-pais-exrepresor-argentino_0_1529847018.html

Almaraz Proposes Prohibiting Foreign Land Ownership

admin — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 17:52:11 +0000

Bolivia former vice-minister of Lands, Alejandro Almaraz, said that the solution to Bolivia’s land ownership problems is to prohibit the sale of land to foreigners. “It seems valid to me to at least consider the legal prohibition of foreigners owning land, just like it is prohibited in Brazil,” said Almaraz.

Gonzalo Colque, director of the Land Foundation, said that more than one million hectares, including much of Bolivia’s most productive farm land, belong to foreigners; primarily Brazilians, Argentinians and Colombians. Colque said that a large black market for land exists and that the government should do more to control the situation. The government is currently in a “sanitizing” process to validate and clarify land ownership titles through 2013 but Colque indicated that many land owners acquired their vast properties through corrupt government privatizations.

To learn more in Spanish see: http://www.erbol.com.bo/noticia.php?identificador=2147483953399

Bolivia’s Perceived Corruption Increases per Report

Matthew Grace — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 16:39:52 +0000

Bolivia is among the four countries perceived as the most corrupt in South America, after Ecuador, Paraguay, and Venezuela, according to the 2011 Perception of Corruption Index presented yesterday in Berlin by the German organization Transparency International.

Bolivia, which came in 118th out of 183 countries studied, dropped from its position of 110 last year.

The government did not comment on the listing, although Suxo Nardi, the minister of transparency, said last Monday in Sucre that “Bolivia is a country that has gone from obscurity to transparency, and several other states, such as Ecuador, Peru, and Paraguay, are seeking to replicate Bolivia’s work as a mechanism to guarantee transparency.” Nardi pointed out that the Morales administration has recovered more than US$90 million in 50 corruption convictions, 12 of which were against MAS members.

To learn more in Spanish see:

http://www.lostiempos.com/diario/actualidad/politica/20111202/bolivia-empeora-en-percepcion-de-corrupcion_151766_315162.html

Student March in El Alto Damages Toll System

Matthew Grace — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 15:20:21 +0000

Yesterday, students, faculty, and staff of the El Alto Public University marched from El Alto to La Paz to demand more funding. Today, the administrative management of the Bolivian road authority is demanding that rector of the school, Damaso Quispe, and four university leaders pay for damages that occurred during the march..

Forty-five people were injured in clashes with the police during the march, and 57 were arrested. Damages to the toll motorway that connects El Alto to La Paz were estimated to cost Bs.155,000 (US$22,000).

The toll system had just been upgraded to process vehicles automatically and was in a testing phase; now, because of damage and theft of computers, workers are once again collecting tolls, this time in booths with broken glass windows.

To learn more in Spanish see:

http://www.la-razon.com/version.php?ArticleId=142108&EditionId=2731