Bolivia’s opposition leader arrested after coup allegations Benedict XVI’s health unchanged and stable

The governor of the state of Santa Cruz was arrested Wednesday on a warrant, the attorney general said. The right-wing politician is accused of playing an important role in the protests against the then head of state Evo Morales in 2019. Morales eventually had to resign, the current left-wing government sees the protests as a coup at the time.

The government of the economically strong state of Santa Cruz described the arrest of its governor as a kidnapping. The 43-year-old was arrested during an irregular police operation and taken to an unknown location, the provincial government said. She held President Luis Arce responsible for Camacho’s security.

According to media reports, Camacho supporters and police clashed in Santa Cruz after the arrest. The officers also used tear gas. The prosecutor’s office was set on fire. In addition, Camacho supporters temporarily blocked the Santa Cruz International Airport. They would have wanted to prevent the politician from being flown to the seat of government in La Paz. Camacho arrived there in the evening in a helicopter, under close supervision.

After ex-President Morales resigned and fled abroad, Camacho ran for president in 2020. He recently led a general strike in his department to force an early census. The Santa Cruz government hopes this will lead to more tax revenue and more seats in parliament. (sda/dpa)