Arce's lawyers seek freedom and turn to international bodies
The legal team of former ruler Luis Arce Catacora requested before national courts the end of his preventive detention, in effect since December for alleged crimes linked to the former indigenous fund. They also appealed to hemispheric human rights bodies.
Arce's lawyers seek freedom and turn to international bodies
The legal representatives of former Bolivian head of state Luis Arce Catacora filed a motion with the ordinary courts requesting that the detention measure against him since mid-December be lifted. The restriction was ordered in the framework of the first investigation he faces, related to the defunct indigenous fund.
Fernando Rivadeneira, his defence counsel, argued that the circumstances that led to the precautionary measure no longer exist. He noted that flight risk, possible interference with witnesses in the case and existence of evidence had been cited. According to the lawyer, the last point lost weight after the current administration completely renewed the team of personnel assigned to the case.
The arrest of the former president took place on 10 December 2025 in Sopocachi, a central area of La Paz. The charges proceeded because at the time the acts under scrutiny occurred, Arce held the position of Minister of Economy, a circumstance that deprived him of special immunity. From that point on, four additional investigations were added against him.
The lawyer estimated that the hearing to resolve the request for release could take place between the start of next week and its second working day, given that the judge has three days to summon the parties since the request was filed.
On the other hand, the defence filed a complaint with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. The plurinational state was already notified of the claim, which is currently in the evidence-gathering phase. Rivadeneira stated that the confinement of his client responds to political motivations, as he believes there is a manifest will to extend the deprivation of liberty without a sentence.
According to the regulations of the regional body, prior to formal admission of a claim and its corresponding numbering, the interested parties must meet certain procedural requirements. When the admissibility ruling is issued, the complaint becomes a case file and moves to the substantive phase.
Source: El Deber
Source: El Deber