Bolivia rejects interim prosecutor general appointed following Mariaca's arrest on drug-trafficking charges
The Bolivian Government rejected the designation of Luis Wagner Montaño as interim prosecutor general and demanded that the Legislative Assembly choose the new head.
Bolivian Government rejects interim prosecutor general and demands legislative session
The Government of Bolivia rejected on Thursday the designation of Luis Wagner Montaño as interim prosecutor general, according to reporting by El Deber. Government Minister Marco Antonio Oviedo stated that he does "not" recognise the appointment because one "cannot self-appoint" as interim prosecutor general and pointed out that it is the responsibility of the Legislative Assembly to choose the new chief authority of the Public Ministry.
"It will be the Assembly, from which the appointment of the prosecutor general emerges, that will have to decide tomorrow (Friday 2 October) in a session that is scheduled," Oviedo declared to the media.
Montaño, for his part, defended his designation at a press conference and assured that action was taken thus "to avoid a legal vacuum and to continue with the institutional structure" of the Public Ministry. He specified that he would remain in the post only until the Legislature chooses the new head. The General Prosecutor's Office backed the measure by means of a statement, arguing that current regulations establish that leadership must fall to the senior prosecutor "with the most seniority", a condition that Montaño meets.
The institutional crisis was triggered following the arrest of prosecutor general Roger Mariaca on Wednesday, accused by the Bolivian Government of allegedly leading a "criminal organisation" that protected "narcoterrorism" in the country. The detention occurred two days after the Government of the United States included Mariaca on a list of high-ranking officials and former government figures from three countries whose visas were revoked, accusing them of being "corrupt" and of "undermining democratically elected Governments".
Along with Mariaca, 13 other people were detained, including three prosecutors. The Police are also searching for former Government Minister Eduardo del Castillo, who was a presidential candidate for the Movement for Socialism (MAS), the party of former leaders Evo Morales and Luis Arce.
The President of the Senate, Diego Ávila, moved the legislative session that was scheduled for Monday forward to Friday, invoking reasons of "institutional urgency", "parliamentary priority and procedural efficiency". In that session, the possible formation of a commission to investigate the accusations against Mariaca and the circumstances of his arrest will be analysed.
Source: El Deber