The Bolivian government confirmed the arrest of former Interior Minister Eduardo del Castillo, detained early Tuesday morning at Viru Viru International Airport (Santa Cruz). According to the official report, authorities proceeded to arrest him after he refused to comply with an identification check and show documentation requested by the police.
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According to the Deputy Minister of Social Security, Ernesto Justiniano, personnel from the Special Force for the Fight Against Drug Trafficking (FELCN) intervened when Del Castillo and Abad Rodolfo Loayza refused to submit to the standard pre-boarding security inspection.
“Both adopted an obstructive and disobedient attitude toward the authorities, refusing to have their documents and luggage inspected,” Justiniano stated. The incident occurred in the pre-boarding area and disrupted passenger flow, even causing delays in the departure of the scheduled international flight.
According to official information, Del Castillo was attempting to leave the country despite a current travel ban, a legal measure prohibiting him from traveling abroad since the end of former President Luis Arce’s term (2020-2025). The former minister was subsequently taken to the headquarters of the Special Force for the Fight Against Crime (FELCC) for further proceedings.
🚨 Arrestan a expresidente de Bolivia Luis Arce
🔴 La exministra de Gobierno, María Nela Prada, denuncia la detención del expresidente Luis Arce (2020-2025).
🔴 Según información extraoficial, Arce habría sido arrestado en el barrio Sopocachi de La Paz y trasladado para presta… pic.twitter.com/JVlU3IIxI1
— teleSUR TV (@teleSURtv) December 10, 2025
The government of President Rodrigo Paz, in office since November 8, reiterated that the arrest is part of control operations and the policy to investigate alleged acts of corruption linked to former officials from the previous administration. As part of this process, Arce was arrested on December 10 for alleged irregularities in disbursements managed by the Indigenous Fund, when he served as Minister of Economy.
For his part, former Bolivian President Luis Arce pleaded not guilty this Friday before a court, rejecting the accusations of alleged embezzlement of a state fund intended for indigenous communities. Meanwhile, a judge ordered Arce’s pretrial detention for five months in a La Paz prison.
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.
INGRESO: ex Pdte. Luis Arce fue internado esta noche a la cárcel de San Pedro, en el centro de La Paz para cumplir 5 meses de detención preventiva mientras se investiga supuesto desfalco de Fondo Indígena cuando era Min. Finanzas. (imágenes BoliviaTv) @teleSURtv pic.twitter.com/1qzx9u59HP
— Freddy Morales (@FreddyteleSUR) December 13, 2025
“I am absolutely innocent of the accusations that are being so readily leveled for clearly political reasons. Given the current political situation, the government is looking for scapegoats, trying to cover up what is happening with these kinds of actions,” Arce declared in a virtual preliminary hearing in La Paz.
Del Castillo’s arrest comes amid a tense political context, where the new administration maintains a narrative of accountability and institutional reform, while sectors aligned with the Movement for Socialism (MAS) denounce an escalation of politically motivated judicialization.
At the moment, the authorities have not confirmed whether they will request an immediate formal indictment or whether they will request preventive detention, while lawyers for the former minister maintain that he will request guarantees to testify.
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