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Bolivian governor goes under house arrest

La Paz, Nov 5 (Prensa Latina) The governor of Santa Cruz, Luis Fernando Camacho, has been sent to a 24-hour house arrest on charges related to the Carro Bombero Affaire, and must pay a 300,000 boliviano-bail (42,800 dollars).

Camacho remained at the maximum-security prison of Chonchocoro, department of La Paz, since December 2022, under investigation in the criminal case Coup d’Etat I and charged with several crimes in the Carro Bombero Affaire.

He’s been charged with breach of duties, embezzlement, improper use of influence, anti-economic conduct and contracts harmful to the State.

The Prosecutor’s Office initiated the investigation following a fire that affected more than a thousand union members in the Mercado Mutualista in Santa Cruz, on the night of July 31, 2022.

In the early morning of August 1 of that year, the governor arrived at the supply center, where the merchants berated him for the “lack of conditions” to deal with such incidents.

Camacho responded that the Governor’s office only has tankers and no fire trucks.

Several local lawmakers, however, countered that in October 2021 they had approved the budget to buy a firefighting truck.

According to accusations from the Movimiento al Socialismo congressman Rolando Cuéllar, the vehicle was purchased by direct invitation and not through public bidding.

The Government allegedly signed a contract with a ‘ghost’ company for the purchase of a fire truck on January 28, 2022, with delivery scheduled for June 27 of that year, which was not complied with.

Camacho is accused in Coup d’Etat I for the crimes of terrorism, active bribery, improper use of state assets and other illicit acts committed during the violent events that in November 2019 led to the resignation of former President Evo Morales and the seizure of power by Jeanine Áñez, who proceeded to lead a de facto government.

abo/ro/jpm

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