A court in Bolivia has convicted former interim president Jeanine Áñez in the "coup case" and sentenced her to 10 years in prison. The announcement of the ruling was broadcast on the newspaper "Pagina Siete." The judge stated, "She has been sentenced to 10 years in prison... until June 10, 2032." Áñez was convicted on charges of "failure to fulfill her duties" as a senator and "making unconstitutional decisions."
The Bolivian Ministry of Interior reported that 10-year prison sentences were also handed down to former Bolivian military commander Williams Kaliman and the former head of the country's police, Vladimir Calderon. Additionally, former commander of the Bolivian Air Force Jorge Ilmer Fernandez was sentenced to 4 years, former commander of the army Pastor Mendieta received a 3-year sentence, and the former chief of staff of the armed forces Flavio Gustavo Arse was sentenced to 2 years in prison.
In a statement from the ministry, it said: "In this way, the Bolivian people have taken a new step toward achieving justice following the tragic events of 2019, when the constitutional order was violated, leading to political and social crises, repeated human rights violations, and mass killings."
Áñez has been held since March 13, 2021, denying all responsibility and claiming to be a victim of prosecution. The public prosecutor had requested a 15-year prison sentence for Áñez. Former Bolivian President Evo Morales resigned from his position in November 2019 amid popular protests against his re-election, which were supported by the military. Áñez, who was then serving as the second vice president of the Senate, announced that she would assume the duties of the head of state until new elections and appointed new ministers. The court later ruled that this process contradicted the country's constitution.
