In a rally on the beginning of the anniversary month of that armed corps, Del Castillo conveyed a message to its 40,000 members in which he asked them to comply with their constitutional mandate, according to which ‘the police do not deliberate or participate in partisan political action’.

The Political Constitution of the State, in its article 252, establishes that ‘the Bolivian Police Forces depend on the President of the State through the Interior Minister’.

After the 2019 elections, in which Morales won, a police riot added to the wave of protests fueled by the opposition and the Organization of American States (OAS), alluding to alleged fraud in the elections that has not yet been proven.

That political crisis led to a coup d’état and facilitated the assumption of a de facto power in Bolivia led by Jeanine Añez, with the approval of the national oligarchy and foreign support.

Based on these facts, Del Castillo called on the troops to comply with the oath they took upon joining the institution, of respect for the Constitution and law, and loyalty to the patriotic symbols.

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