Luis Fernando Camacho, a more controversial conservative lawyer and businessman, was recently released from a maximum-security prison near La Paz. He ended up spending almost three years being held in jail before trial. The 46-year-old politician returned to a hero’s welcome in his home province of Santa Cruz, where thousands of supporters gathered to celebrate his release on Friday. Camacho risked jail time for incitement as a co-author of the unrest. This chaos led, in the end, to the deposing of former President Evo Morales from power in 2019.
Camacho’s eventual arrest in December 2022 led to protests across Bolivia that became nearly unanimous. Most of the public citizens immediately discounted the coup claims as absurd. His supporters have long claimed that he had been wrongfully imprisoned for fighting for democratic freedoms. He served almost four and a half years behind bars. This time, it was due to a number of charges related to the violent demonstrations that erupted in response to Morales’s disputed re-election.
Bolivia’s Supreme Court has agreed to hear the legality of pretrial detention for most of the right-wing leaders in the coup, including Camacho. In response, authorities have put him under house arrest. His legal team assured this arrangement would not prevent him from returning to his beloved hometown of Yamoussoukro and furthering his efforts as a political leader.
Upon his release, Camacho spoke directly to the cheering crowd of supporters, thanking them for their unwavering support during his fight.
“It has been an honour to be imprisoned for almost three years, for the struggle of my people and for democracy.” – Luis Fernando Camacho
As he walked through the Santa Cruz streets, supporters greeted him with raucous cheers. They waved green and white flags, in ecstatic jubilation to welcome back their hero. Once in the governor’s mansion, Camacho proved to be laser-focused. He retook his seat from deputy governor Mario Aguilera, who had been running the department in his nonattendance.
Camacho has three other pending legal cases despite his release. He is charged with inciting a riot. Other more serious allegations range from irregularities in public procurement and inappropriate staffing appointments to state government in his tenure as governor. The political climate in Bolivia remains tense, particularly following the recent general elections that have revitalized opposition forces and raised concerns about potential political manipulation within the justice system.
