Vice-Minister Maldonado avoids links with guard murdered in Santa Cruz
Peter Maldonado refused to confirm whether victim Olvis Melgar was part of his security detail. A threatening message directed at the vice-minister was found alongside the body.
Vice-Minister evades questions over guard found dead in the Ecological Belt
The Vice-Minister of Interior Regime, Police Strengthening and Transparency, Peter Maldonado, refused to confirm or deny whether Olvis Melgar, a 40-year-old man murdered in the Ecological Belt of Santa Cruz de la Sierra, had provided services to his security team. According to El Deber, the victim's relatives maintain that Melgar worked as a private guard and had served the official.
When directly asked about that employment link, Maldonado dismissed making remarks about "alleged" matters and reaffirmed the Government's position on organised crime.
"We will not comment on alleged matters. We have clear instructions from the Minister of Government and the President of the Plurinational State of Bolivia to fight crime, to fight drugs and we will not be intimidated by any of the threats we are receiving," the vice-minister stated.
Maldonado also warned that the Government will not open negotiations with criminal organisations and announced that investigations will extend to those who allegedly facilitated drug trafficking infiltration into State institutions, including the Prosecution Office and sectors of the Judicial Branch.
"Our position is absolutely clear. We will not negotiate with drug traffickers. We do not compromise with drug trafficking and crime," he maintained.
Family rejects police version and demands answers
Olvis Melgar's relatives questioned the police characterisation that identified him as a homeless person. His father, Vicente Melgar, asserted that his son lived with his mother in Santa Cruz and worked as a private security guard.
The family called for clarification of the possible employment relationship between the victim and the vice-minister, and determination of whether that background is connected to the murder. They also noted that no explanation has been provided regarding the whereabouts of a rucksack which, according to the relatives, could contain elements relevant to the investigation.
Threatening message found alongside the body
The case gained prominence after a written document with threats directed directly at Maldonado was found with Melgar's corpse, in which an alleged debt was mentioned and new deaths were warned of. Investigators have yet to establish the origin of the message, its authors and the reason for the threat.
The autopsy determined that Melgar died as a result of cranioencephalic trauma and injuries to internal organs. The forensic examination identified five gunshot impacts and two blunt force blows to the head that caused skull fractures.
The Prosecution Office and the Special Force for Fighting Crime (Felcc) are conducting the investigation. The relatives demand identification of those responsible and establishment of whether the work carried out by the victim is related to the threatening message and the circumstances of his death.
Source: El Deber