García Linera travelled to Argentina days before the Supreme Court of Justice opened the Hotel Las Américas case
The former vice president left Bolivia for Argentina before the Supreme Court of Justice initiated proceedings against him in the Hotel Las Américas case from 2009.
Former vice president out of the country whilst judicial process advances over executions in Santa Cruz
Former vice president Álvaro García Linera left Bolivia for Argentina days before the Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ) ordered an investigation into him regarding the Hotel Las Américas case, according to Government Minister Marco Antonio Oviedo. El Deber reported that the information became known hours after the TSJ issued its accusatory resolution.
"Regarding the vice president of the State, Álvaro García Linera, we know that he left a few days ago heading to Argentina," Oviedo said, without specifying the exact date of the former official's departure.
The TSJ announced on Tuesday 3 November that it had issued a resolution for the General Prosecutor's Office to investigate García Linera and former president Evo Morales for the executions that occurred at the Hotel Las Américas in Santa Cruz de la Sierra in April 2009. The deadline set for this preliminary stage is 30 days, expiring in the first days of December.
"The 30-day deadline for this preliminary stage is running. We understand that, within this timeframe, the Public Ministry will issue its conclusive resolution," explained Carlos Ortega, president of the Criminal Chamber of the TSJ, who emphasised that the investigation phase is the "exclusive responsibility of the Public Ministry".
The process opened following an accusatory proposal presented on 9 October by the Libre parliamentary group to the General Prosecutor's Office against Morales and García. That office went to the TSJ to request the opening of the "pre-trial", a preliminary phase that will chart the course towards a possible trial of responsibilities against both former leaders.
In the coming days, the Prosecutor's Office must notify Morales and García Linera and summon them to give their declaratory statements. State General Prosecutor José Armando Urioste warned that if they do not appear before the judge, they will be declared in default and arrest orders will be issued.
"The investigation is continuing and has not been halted," Urioste stated. The prosecutor added that, if they fail to appear, "the proceedings will go forward with a declaration of default and immediate arrests, this by procedure".
The Criminal Chamber of the TSJ has already issued two orders directed to the Court of Justice of Cochabamba and the Court of Chuquisaca for those bodies to proceed to notify the former officials.
The facts that led to the process date back to 16 April 2009, during Morales's first government. On that date, police forces conducted an operation at the Hotel Las Américas in Santa Cruz de la Sierra in which three foreign nationals died: Eduardo Rózsa-Flores, Árpád Magyarosi and Michael Martin Dwyer. The government at the time accused them of being part of a terrorist and separatist cell linked to an alleged assassination plot.
Source: El Deber