Former Bolivian President Luis Arce pleaded not guilty this Friday before a court, rejecting accusations of alleged embezzlement of a state fund intended for indigenous communities. A judge ordered Arce’s preventive detention for five months in a La Paz prison, a measure that is part of an investigation into alleged mismanagement of the fund while the former president served as a minister in the government of Evo Morales.
Arce’s legal team defended his innocence, invoking the principle of presumption of innocence and the provisions of Article 6 of the Criminal Procedure Code. The defense also pledged to ensure the former president’s presence at all prosecutorial and judicial investigation proceedings determined by the authorities.
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“I am absolutely innocent of the accusations that are being so readily made for clearly political reasons,” he stated. “Given the current political situation, the government is looking for scapegoats and trying to cover up what’s happening with these kinds of actions,” Arce declared during a virtual preliminary hearing in La Paz.
To avoid pretrial detention, the former president claimed to have a known address and stable employment in Bolivia. However, the prosecution argued for the necessity of his imprisonment, citing the risk of flight and the potential for obstruction of the investigation.
This decision stood despite the fact that the former president’s lawyers emphasized his advanced age and delicate health, which requires constant medical attention. They supported this claim by presenting a medical report confirming Arce’s cancer diagnosis.
📹 | El expresidente boliviano Luis Arce permanece detenido en La Paz, acusado de un presunto desfalco al Fondo Indígena. La fiscalía solicitó tres meses de prisión preventiva para el exmandatario.
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The defense attorney argued that Article 68 of Law 369 and constitutional regulations guarantee priority medical care for those over 60 years of age, and that the Law for the Elderly requires the State to provide comprehensive healthcare.
Meanwhile, Luis Arce spent his second night detained in the cells of the Special Force for the Fight Against Crime (FELCC), after being arrested on Wednesday, December 10, on charges of alleged economic misconduct and dereliction of duty.
“We regret that in less than 24 hours all of this was fabricated to persecute and arrest me in an absolutely illegal manner,” Arce stated.
Arce’s hearing regarding precautionary measures began this Friday around 11:00 a.m. in the city of La Paz, held virtually. The former president spoke to give his version of events only at 4:30 p.m.
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