Bolivian Government backs vice-minister Maldonado after threat found with corpse in Santa Cruz
A threatening message found alongside a murdered man in the Ecological Belt of Santa Cruz sparked a response from the Bolivian Executive. Minister Oviedo declared that the Government will not yield to organised crime.
Threat to vice-minister Maldonado triggers institutional support from the Executive
The Minister of Government, Marco Antonio Oviedo, publicly backed vice-minister of Internal Affairs, Police Strengthening and Transparency, Peter Maldonado, after an intimidating message was found alongside the body of a man murdered in the Ecological Belt of Santa Cruz. According to El Deber, the message was directed directly at the vice-minister and the Public Prosecutor's Office is investigating its origin and possible link to criminal organisations.
"In the face of this offensive we want to be categorical: they are not going to intimidate us," Oviedo declared during a press conference, reading the Government's official statement which ratifies President Rodrigo Paz Pereira's backing of Maldonado.
The contents of the message and context of the discovery
The message found alongside the corpse contained an explicit warning: "Peter Maldonado, the deadline has passed. From now on the deaths that occur will be on your conscience, pay the debt". The authorities have not publicly established who drafted the threats or what the origin of the alleged debt mentioned in the message would be.
Oviedo maintained that intimidations against Maldonado intensified following the capture of Uruguayan drug trafficker Sebastián Marset, and attributed them to the criminal structure of the detainee, his accomplices and individuals who allegedly provided him protection from institutional and political spheres.
Results cited by the Executive
The minister enumerated a series of operations presented as achievements in the fight against organised crime: the downfall of leaders linked to Comando Vermelho and the First Command of the Capital (PCC) from Brazil, in addition to organisations such as Los Pulpos from Peru, Los Espartanos from Colombia and the First Cartel of Uruguay.
Oviedo also mentioned the detention and prosecution of former Attorney-General Roger Mariaca, as well as former police officials, former prosecutors and former judges who remain detained or under investigation for their alleged involvement in corruption and cover-up networks.
"The results achieved are concrete and verifiable. Precisely because of this, those whose interests are threatened resort to intimidations that come both from criminal organisations and from sectors linked to the Chapare," the minister stated.
The Public Prosecutor's Office confirms the investigation
The Attorney-General of the State, José Armando Urioste, described the situation as worrying and confirmed that the Public Prosecutor's Office is investigating the contents of the messages, their origin and a possible connection to the murder. "It is worrying that criminal organisations are threatening Bolivian authorities," Urioste stated. He also noted that other messages related to the events were incorporated into ongoing investigations.
Lara seeks clarification on the alleged debt
Vice-president Edmand Lara publicly asked vice-minister Maldonado to clarify the contents of the threatening message. "Who threatened him? What debts does he have? Are these debts with companies or money, or are these debts with organised crime?" Lara questioned. The vice-president clarified that he is not making accusations and that it is not appropriate to make statements without evidence.
The Minister of Defence, Ernesto Justiniano, expressed regret over the threats and called for the murders to be investigated as a priority. He also reported the reinforcement of military patrols in various cities across the country during the weekend.
Government rules out backing down
Oviedo guaranteed that Maldonado would have the Executive's backing whilst investigations advance to identify those responsible for the murder and the intimidating messages. "There will be no intimidation that stops the Government's decision to confront narco-terrorism, corruption and criminal structures that operated in the country for years. In Bolivia, impunity has ended," the minister concluded.
Source: El Deber