Jeanine Áñez Chávez , Interim President of Bolivia (source: youtube screenshot)
By Gary Raynaldo DIPLOMATIC TIMES
Bolivia’s former interim president Jeanine Áñez was detained and accused of promoting an alleged coup against her predecessor Evo Morales. In October 2019, then-president Morales stepped down under pressure from the Bolivian armed forces after a presidential election that the Organization of American States (OAS) said was rigged in his favor. Áñez, a far right politician, was arrested Saturday and charged with fomenting a coup against longtime left-wing leader Morales, along with two other former members of her cabinet. They were hit with terrorism, sedition and conspiracy charges.
“They are sending me to 4 months in detention to await the trial for a ‘coup’ that never happened,” Anez said in a Tweet Sunday.
Como hemos denunciado, el MAS decide y el sistema judicial obedece: me envían 4 meses detenida para esperar el juicio por un "golpe" que nunca ocurrió. Desde aquí llamo a Bolivia a tener fe y esperanza. Un día, entre todos, levantaremos una Bolivia mejor.
— Jeanine Añez Chavez (@JeanineAnez) March 15, 2021
She was only to to fill in as interim president, but Anez overreached and went after supporters of Morales, arresting many in an apparent political vendetta. She even expelled Mexico’s ambassador and two Spanish diplomats over allies to Morales given asylum in the Mexican embassy.
