Zürcher Nachrichten - 'Coup d'etat' trial of Bolivia ex-president begins

EUR -
AED 4.23952
AFN 80.226659
ALL 97.295308
AMD 443.039278
ANG 2.065721
AOA 1058.426518
ARS 1490.672609
AUD 1.772767
AWG 2.080496
AZN 1.958283
BAM 1.952101
BBD 2.332531
BDT 141.928463
BGN 1.952792
BHD 0.435143
BIF 3396.31606
BMD 1.154228
BND 1.487298
BOB 7.983496
BRL 6.434357
BSD 1.155236
BTN 100.22644
BWP 15.638453
BYN 3.780299
BYR 22622.869931
BZD 2.320684
CAD 1.589678
CDF 3335.718832
CHF 0.930073
CLF 0.028267
CLP 1108.913435
CNY 8.283778
CNH 8.288754
COP 4774.464361
CRC 583.806493
CUC 1.154228
CUP 30.587044
CVE 110.748157
CZK 24.591405
DJF 205.129641
DKK 7.463389
DOP 70.407534
DZD 150.50992
EGP 56.212291
ERN 17.313421
ETB 159.511975
FJD 2.602666
FKP 0.86189
GBP 0.864869
GEL 3.119951
GGP 0.86189
GHS 12.119832
GIP 0.86189
GMD 83.104769
GNF 9990.99836
GTQ 8.864665
GYD 241.698331
HKD 9.060621
HNL 30.414197
HRK 7.528334
HTG 151.505564
HUF 399.989079
IDR 18936.554072
ILS 3.886915
IMP 0.86189
INR 100.70224
IQD 1512.038756
IRR 48607.432985
ISK 142.215149
JEP 0.86189
JMD 185.079326
JOD 0.818365
JPY 170.971756
KES 149.470972
KGS 100.783039
KHR 4639.996905
KMF 492.269676
KPW 1038.756608
KRW 1596.551124
KWD 0.352524
KYD 0.96273
KZT 627.508229
LAK 24902.470267
LBP 103347.601656
LKR 349.026252
LRD 232.000212
LSL 20.649434
LTL 3.408135
LVL 0.698181
LYD 6.244721
MAD 10.491355
MDL 19.714756
MGA 5113.230603
MKD 61.527913
MMK 2422.734869
MNT 4144.282462
MOP 9.341427
MRU 45.961464
MUR 52.840607
MVR 17.77611
MWK 2004.314029
MXN 21.630707
MYR 4.888733
MZN 73.824915
NAD 20.649071
NGN 1767.042136
NIO 42.418119
NOK 11.776283
NPR 160.366265
NZD 1.936576
OMR 0.443798
PAB 1.155301
PEN 4.100398
PGK 4.792377
PHP 66.354289
PKR 326.703907
PLN 4.279572
PYG 8653.054669
QAR 4.202255
RON 5.075834
RSD 117.186471
RUB 93.608718
RWF 1662.088403
SAR 4.32941
SBD 9.515644
SCR 16.946648
SDG 693.117771
SEK 11.138982
SGD 1.486051
SHP 0.907042
SLE 26.547126
SLL 24203.589812
SOS 659.644734
SRD 42.370322
STD 23890.190417
STN 24.758192
SVC 10.108285
SYP 15006.689298
SZL 20.648463
THB 37.45696
TJS 11.004408
TMT 4.05134
TND 3.341535
TOP 2.703319
TRY 46.837916
TTD 7.841313
TWD 34.290938
TZS 2966.366121
UAH 48.296584
UGX 4141.332721
USD 1.154228
UYU 46.22482
UZS 14543.273212
VES 141.609066
VND 30260.974103
VUV 137.702861
WST 3.166508
XAF 654.767452
XAG 0.030311
XAU 0.000347
XCD 3.119359
XCG 2.082045
XDR 0.800353
XOF 645.213904
XPF 119.331742
YER 277.76456
ZAR 20.64944
ZMK 10389.433233
ZMW 26.543777
ZWL 371.660964
  • RBGPF

    -3.5200

    74.03

    -4.75%

  • RYCEF

    0.3500

    13.5

    +2.59%

  • CMSC

    0.1100

    22.61

    +0.49%

  • RIO

    0.0800

    62.27

    +0.13%

  • BTI

    0.9900

    52.77

    +1.88%

  • SCS

    -0.3400

    10.51

    -3.24%

  • AZN

    2.1500

    73.98

    +2.91%

  • NGG

    0.2000

    70.52

    +0.28%

  • GSK

    0.2200

    37.67

    +0.58%

  • RELX

    0.1500

    51.92

    +0.29%

  • SCU

    0.0000

    12.72

    0%

  • BP

    0.2900

    32.96

    +0.88%

  • VOD

    -0.0500

    11.11

    -0.45%

  • CMSD

    0.2200

    23.12

    +0.95%

  • BCC

    -0.6000

    86.14

    -0.7%

  • JRI

    0.0300

    13.06

    +0.23%

  • BCE

    -0.1700

    23.66

    -0.72%

'Coup d'etat' trial of Bolivia ex-president begins
'Coup d'etat' trial of Bolivia ex-president begins

'Coup d'etat' trial of Bolivia ex-president begins

Hailed as a "political prisoner" by supporters, former interim president Jeanine Anez went on trial Thursday accused of orchestrating a coup d'etat to remove her predecessor as Bolivia's leader, Evo Morales.

Text size:

The conservative Anez, 54, has been held in pre-trial detention for the last 11 months. She has been on hunger strike, not for the first time, since Wednesday.

Another eight people, all ex-military, are also on trial.

The opening day of the video proceedings lasted just two hours and was marred by connectivity problems.

Dozens of Anez supporters led by her daughter Carolina Ribera protested outside the court but left when counter-protesters turned up.

Anez is accused of unconstitutionally assuming the presidency in November 2019 following the resignation of Morales, who fled into exile following 14 years in power.

Morales quit and left the country in the midst of street protests over his controversial reelection the month before.

The Organization of American States performed an audit and found clear evidence of election irregularities.

"I assumed the presidency of Bolivia without asking for it, without looking for it and much less expecting it... with the only mission to call new elections and pacify a country in convulsion," Anez said on Tuesday.

During the opening day, the court agreed to modify the opening trial document following criticism from Anez's lawyer Luis Guillen that it was biased since it described Anez as the "de facto" and "unconstitutional" ex-president.

Guillen has also demanded an in-person trial and that witnesses be made to attend for cross-examination after the public prosecutor's office said it would be submitting only witness statements.

The trial could last up to three years.

On Tuesday, a group of 21 former Latin American presidents asked the United Nations to visit Anez and investigate potential "abuses of power" in her treatment.

- 'Massacres' -

Another accusation of sedition, terrorism and conspiracy against Anez is still under investigation.

Guillen said the two probes relate to "the same event" adding that it violates a general principal of law.

Guillen said an ex-president should not be tried in a regular court but rather face a trial of responsibilities in congress.

The plaintiffs in the case are the government, public prosecutor and congress dominated by the ruling Movement for Socialism party.

"This is a political trial being carried out by the government of President Luis Arce," said political scientist Carlos Cordero from San Andres University.

"It's a way of establishing a political sanction for those that dared to be adversaries at a time of crisis for the Movement for Socialism."

Former television host Anez is also accused of genocide following complaints made by relatives of victims of a police crackdown against protesters in November 2019.

A group of experts commissioned by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and the government said 22 people were killed in "massacres" carried out by security forces.

Unlike the other accusations, though, it will be dealt with by congress in a trial of responsibilities.

The report also questioned the independence of Bolivia's judicial system.

- Sudden change in results -

In October 2019, Morales stood for a fourth consecutive term as president despite the constitution setting a limit of two successive terms.

The election appeared to be heading for a second round run-off until a 24-hour blackout in the live and transparent reporting of results.

When that resumed, Morales had suddenly jumped into a winning lead.

There followed three weeks of protests against his reelection during which time Morales lost support of the police and military, and fled the country.

Those who would have succeeded him -- all members of his MAS party -- also resigned and fled, leaving Anez -- then vice-president of the senate -- as the highest ranking official left in office.

Congress, which was controlled by MAS, recognized her as interim president despite the lack of a quorum due to a boycott by many members of MAS.

Her sole task was to organize new elections but it took a year, in part due to postponements over the coronavirus pandemic.

With Morales living in Argentina, his former finance minister Arce romped to victory.

Anez ceded power in November 2020 and was arrested in March 2021.

O.Pereira--NZN