Bolivian police arrest prominent opposition leader who led weeks of protests

Police on Wednesday detained Luis Fernando Camacho, Bolivia’s main opposition leader who is also the governor of the Santa Cruz region, in a dramatic move that is expected to heighten political tensions and could spark new social unrest.

The South American country’s government has not released details of what charges Camacho, whose territory is Bolivia’s richest and is home to opposition detention centers, is facing.

Government Minister Carlos Eduardo del Castillo just wrote on social media, “We inform the Bolivian people that the police have executed an arrest warrant against Mr. Luis Fernando Camacho.”

Shortly after the action, the governor of Santa Cruz said in a news release that Camacho “was kidnapped in a completely irregular police operation and taken to an unknown location.”

Camacho was arrested near his home, the news release said.

Supporters tried to block the airport

Video of the arrest posted on social media showed Camacho being handcuffed on the side of the road alongside law enforcement officers holding firearms.

Martin Camacho, the governor’s lawyer, told the local newspaper El Deber that his client was brought to the capital La Paz to answer questions about the case opened against him.

Videos posted on social media showed dozens of supporters descending on two local airports in an attempt to block the governor’s transfer, although it was unclear if they were still there.

led an attack on the government

The government has launched several court actions against Camacho, including one for calling for an attack on the national administration of President Luis Arce in November, which lasted 36 days. He faces charges of sedition, treason and corruption, among others.

Camacho is the leader of the opposition alliance Creemos, which translates to “We Believe” in English.

His role as head of the opposition was strengthened in November, when he led an offensive against the government. The action calls for a national census to be conducted in 2023, which would give Santa Cruz more tax revenue and seats in Congress and therefore more influence on the country’s political decisions.

Camacho was also a leader in the massive protests in 2019 that forced president Evo Morales out of power after elections the Organization of American States said were marred by fraud. Morales is seeking a fourth consecutive re-election.

The 2019 protests led to social unrest that left 37 dead and pushed Bolivia into its most serious institutional crisis in recent years.