Paz warns organised crime after enacting law reforming the Public Prosecutor's Office
President Rodrigo Paz pledged to continue his Government's offensive against organised crime following the enactment of Law 1773. "This is not over," he said.
"This is not over": Paz warns organised crime and enacts Public Prosecutor's Office reform
President Rodrigo Paz warned on Friday that his Government's offensive against organised crime will not end with the enactment of Law 1773, according to larazon.bo. The president described the new legislation—which amends the Public Prosecutor's Office Act—as the beginning of an institutional transformation in the face of structures that, he alleged, attempted to infiltrate State bodies.
"This is not over," Paz said during the enactment ceremony held at the Government Palace, in which he also called on the Plurinational Legislative Assembly to assume upcoming decisions regarding the conduct of the General Public Prosecutor's Office.
Months of quiet work, not an immediate reaction
The president argued that the crisis in the Public Prosecutor's Office did not arise spontaneously. He compared the operation with previous investigations into organisations linked to drug trafficking and emphasised the methodical nature of the process.
"What has happened in recent days is not the result of an announcement made on Monday. It is the result of an investigation effort and quiet, meticulous work," he said.
Paz broadened the scope of the challenge beyond drug trafficking: he pointed out that some criminal structures would have attempted to exercise control over public institutions, with the complicity of certain officials.
"There are some who, through organised crime, wanted to control or want to control State institutions, and I remind them that they are answerable to their people and not to illicit groups of national and international scope," he said.
Bolivia, the Shield of the Americas, and borderless crime
In that context, the president defended Bolivia's participation in what is called the Shield of the Americas and emphasised organised crime's capacity to operate beyond national boundaries.
"Organised crime has no constitution, organised crime does not answer to laws, organised crime has no parliaments," the President said.
Paz also acknowledged the personal risks faced by those participating in the investigations: fear, corruption, and possible threats against their families.
"Yes, fear. Yes, the corruption of bribery. Yes, the misfortune that tomorrow families could be frightened and intimidated," he noted.
Facing that scenario, he issued a warning that summarised his Government's stance: "But do not forget, the homeland will always be greater."
The Assembly, the next stage of the reform
The President also directed his message to legislators and urged them not to yield to pressures that might arise in upcoming decisions regarding the Public Prosecutor's Office.
"I know that a difficult task falls to you, because it is the representation of Parliament that must make a decision following this law reform," he said.
Paz concluded his remarks with a political assessment of his first year in office: "The moment is difficult, but it is our moment," and added that the transformations driven by his administration "are beginning to bear fruit".
Source: Google News BO — La Paz