SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
Jeanine Anez speaks at the Government's Palace on August 13, 2020 in La Paz, Bolivia. (Photo: Gaston Brito/Getty Images)
Far-Right Bolivia Coup Leader Jeanine Anez Arrested on Terrorism, Sedition Charges
"The authors and accomplices of the dictatorship that looted the economy and attacked life and democracy in Bolivia" must "be investigated and punished," said Evo Morales, the former president.
Mar 12, 2021
Far-right Bolivian politician Jeanine Anez was arrested Saturday on charges of terrorism and sedition for her role in the 2019 military coup that ousted former President Evo Morales and ushered in a brutal regime that violently repressed largely Indigenous pro-democracy protesters.
In November of 2019--days after Morales was forced by the nation's military to resign and flee the country over bogus claims of election fraud--Anez declared herself the interim president of Bolivia in violation of the country's constitution. The Trump administration, then in power in the U.S., applauded the military coup as it drew global condemnation.
What followed was a wave of deadly attacks by the Bolivian police and military against demonstrators who took to the streets to denounce the subversion of democracy and the illegitimate removal of the nation's first Indigenous leader.
But last October, as Common Dreams reported, Morales' Movement for Socialism (MAS) party--now headed by Luis Arce--prevailed in the country's closely-watched presidential election after the contest was twice postponed by the coup regime. Anez dropped out of the race in September after polling showed her in fourth place; her ally, Luis Camacho, ultimately came in third in the presidential election.
Early Saturday morning, Bolivian minister of government Carlos Eduardo del Castillo tweeted that Anez has "been apprehended and is currently in the hands of the police" after a warrant was issued for her arrest. Anez claimed she is a victim of "political persecution."
The Friday announcement of the warrant for Anez's arrest came after warrants were also issued for the former head of the armed forces and police, according to the Associated Press.
In a tweet Saturday morning, Morales declared that "the authors and accomplices of the dictatorship that looted the economy and attacked life and democracy in Bolivia" must "be investigated and punished."
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, The U.S. is on a fast track to authoritarianism like nothing I've ever seen. Meanwhile, corporate news outlets are utterly capitulating to Trump, twisting their coverage to avoid drawing his ire while lining up to stuff cash in his pockets. That's why I believe that Common Dreams is doing the best and most consequential reporting that we've ever done. Our small but mighty team is a progressive reporting powerhouse, covering the news every day that the corporate media never will. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. And to ignite change for the common good. Now here's the key piece that I want all our readers to understand: None of this would be possible without your financial support. That's not just some fundraising cliche. It's the absolute and literal truth. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. Will you donate now to help power the nonprofit, independent reporting of Common Dreams? Thank you for being a vital member of our community. Together, we can keep independent journalism alive when it’s needed most. - Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Far-right Bolivian politician Jeanine Anez was arrested Saturday on charges of terrorism and sedition for her role in the 2019 military coup that ousted former President Evo Morales and ushered in a brutal regime that violently repressed largely Indigenous pro-democracy protesters.
In November of 2019--days after Morales was forced by the nation's military to resign and flee the country over bogus claims of election fraud--Anez declared herself the interim president of Bolivia in violation of the country's constitution. The Trump administration, then in power in the U.S., applauded the military coup as it drew global condemnation.
What followed was a wave of deadly attacks by the Bolivian police and military against demonstrators who took to the streets to denounce the subversion of democracy and the illegitimate removal of the nation's first Indigenous leader.
But last October, as Common Dreams reported, Morales' Movement for Socialism (MAS) party--now headed by Luis Arce--prevailed in the country's closely-watched presidential election after the contest was twice postponed by the coup regime. Anez dropped out of the race in September after polling showed her in fourth place; her ally, Luis Camacho, ultimately came in third in the presidential election.
Early Saturday morning, Bolivian minister of government Carlos Eduardo del Castillo tweeted that Anez has "been apprehended and is currently in the hands of the police" after a warrant was issued for her arrest. Anez claimed she is a victim of "political persecution."
The Friday announcement of the warrant for Anez's arrest came after warrants were also issued for the former head of the armed forces and police, according to the Associated Press.
In a tweet Saturday morning, Morales declared that "the authors and accomplices of the dictatorship that looted the economy and attacked life and democracy in Bolivia" must "be investigated and punished."
Far-right Bolivian politician Jeanine Anez was arrested Saturday on charges of terrorism and sedition for her role in the 2019 military coup that ousted former President Evo Morales and ushered in a brutal regime that violently repressed largely Indigenous pro-democracy protesters.
In November of 2019--days after Morales was forced by the nation's military to resign and flee the country over bogus claims of election fraud--Anez declared herself the interim president of Bolivia in violation of the country's constitution. The Trump administration, then in power in the U.S., applauded the military coup as it drew global condemnation.
What followed was a wave of deadly attacks by the Bolivian police and military against demonstrators who took to the streets to denounce the subversion of democracy and the illegitimate removal of the nation's first Indigenous leader.
But last October, as Common Dreams reported, Morales' Movement for Socialism (MAS) party--now headed by Luis Arce--prevailed in the country's closely-watched presidential election after the contest was twice postponed by the coup regime. Anez dropped out of the race in September after polling showed her in fourth place; her ally, Luis Camacho, ultimately came in third in the presidential election.
Early Saturday morning, Bolivian minister of government Carlos Eduardo del Castillo tweeted that Anez has "been apprehended and is currently in the hands of the police" after a warrant was issued for her arrest. Anez claimed she is a victim of "political persecution."
The Friday announcement of the warrant for Anez's arrest came after warrants were also issued for the former head of the armed forces and police, according to the Associated Press.
In a tweet Saturday morning, Morales declared that "the authors and accomplices of the dictatorship that looted the economy and attacked life and democracy in Bolivia" must "be investigated and punished."
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.