The Bolivian Foreign Ministry announced that it will present a claim to the Governments of Spain and Chile for the “interference” of two of its legislators who arrived in the country and demonstrated in favor of the release of the opposition governor Luis Fernando Camachoarrested for events in the Bolivian crisis in 2019.
The Vice Minister of Foreign Trade, Benjamín Blanco, mentioned that the Spanish legislator of Vox Victor Gonzalez and the Chilean parliamentarian from the Republican Party Luis Fernando Sánchez committed a “clear act of meddling that is unacceptable“.
González and Sánchez presented themselves this day at the Departmental Command of Santa Cruzthe largest Bolivian region, to meet with the head of that police department, when at the same time a protest of women demanding the freedom of Camacho was taking place.
González expressed his concern to the media about what he considered the “systematic violations of human rightsin Bolivia and the deprivation of liberty to “gunpoint” of Governor Camachofor which he announced that there is already a parliamentary initiative in his country for the Spanish government to demand his release.
For his part, Sánchez mentioned the need for international organizations to appear “on the ground” to “verify that the police function (in Bolivia) is always carried out within a framework of respect for fundamental rights“.
Chilean deputy, Luis Fernando Sánchez, arrived in Bolivia concerned about the violent repression that the people of Santa Cruz are experiencing by the Police. He observed violation of human rights and asked the police to carry out their functions within the framework of respect and international protocols. pic.twitter.com/9UCdiivx0s
— Comite Pro Santa Cruz (@ComiteProSC) January 2, 2023
In this regard, Vice Minister Blanco stated that both deputies “do not represent their (respective) government” for which reason the The Bolivian Ministry of Foreign Relations will make “a formal claim” to Chile and Spain” through the “corresponding diplomatic channels”.
Blanco also referred to the fact that “it is not the first time” that the Spanish legislator González is in Bolivia to commit “interference” and cited his arrival in the country in 2019 when the interim government of former president Jeanine Áñez took office.