The Pro Santa Cruz Civic Committee has called a 24-hour strike for this Friday as a way to demand the «immediate» release of the governor of the Bolivian capital, Luis Fernando Camacho.
The president of the Committee, Rómulo Calvo, has resolved after a three-hour meeting to carry out a «departmental civic strike from 00.00 hours (local time) on Friday, December 30, demanding the immediate release of our governor», as reported by the newspaper ‘El Deber’.
«From the Pro Santa Cruz Committee, we recognize the right of Santa Cruz citizens in general that, within the legal, peaceful and democratic framework, they can carry out the protest actions they deem appropriate to enforce the rights of the institutionality, of the democratically elected authorities and the freedom of Santa Cruz citizens,» the organization states.
Among the agreements, it has highlighted that the Committee «repudiates the violent kidnapping and subsequent apprehension against the governor and former civic president».
«We state that the people of Santa Cruz de la Sierra will be mobilized and in permanent emergency, demanding his immediate release and return to the city of Santa Cruz de la Sierra», he added.
Likewise, Calvo denounced the justice system, urging the judiciary «to stop political manipulation and to respect the independence of powers, an essential condition of democratic institutionality and the rule of law».
Thirdly, he asked «to denounce to the international community that the Bolivian government, presided by Luis Arce, has established in Bolivia a regime of State terrorism and legal insecurity».
On the other hand, he condemned the current departmental commander of the National Police for having «lent himself to this vile act of attack».
Camacho is the main leader of Santa Cruz, the richest region of Bolivia and historically opposed to the governments of the Movimiento al Socialismo (MAS), scene in the last month of new protests and blockades, this time to oppose the census law of the Government of Luis Arce.
His arrest is motivated by his role in the violent demonstrations and protests that occurred after the opposition, supported by the Armed Forces, pressured Morales to renounce his victory in the October 2019 elections, whose results were also questioned by the Organization of American States (OAS).
After his arrest, there have been protests in Santa Cruz, including road and airport blockades. Likewise, other opposition representatives have demanded his release, while warning the Government that they will not «give up» and that they will continue fighting «to the last consequences».
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
