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Three Ex-Presidents Criticize Government For Political Repression

Posted: Nate on Sep 07 | Law & Justice, Politics

In separate declarations three ex-presidents of Bolivia announced yesterday their concern over what they perceive as a corruption of the justice system and a systematic repression of dissident opinion.  Ex-presidents Jorge Quiroga (2001-2002), Carlos Mesa (2003-2005), and Eduardo Rodríguez Veltzé (2005-2006) came out publicly with their announcements after federal judge René Delgado sentenced Mr. Quiroga to two years and eight months in prison on charges of libel and defamation against Banco Únion that transpired in 2009.  In his comments from Austin, Texas, Mr. Quiroga called the sentence, “an attack against democracy and freedom of expression.”  He blaims the government´s executive branch for the charges, citing the government´s 83% ownership of Banco Únion shares.

Mr. Quiroga charges that the government did not properly investigate the circumstances surrounding his “libelous” comments and emphasized his efforts to paint the Bolivian government as anti-democracy in international circles.  Mr. Mesa and Mr. Rodríguez Veltzé both wrote their comments to express solidarity with Quiroga and expressed their own feelings of political persecution.

Officials for Banco Únion responded saying the court verdict against Mr. Quiroga was not decided by political motivations.   According to general director Marcia Villaroel, “this prison sentence was not decided in response to Mr. Quiroga´s political character and any financial institution, in order to preserve its image and honesty, would have pursued the same actions as Banco Únion.”

For more in Spanish see:

http://www.la-razon.com/version.php?ArticleId=117426&a=1&EditionId=2277

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