What are the five pillars that Añez puts forward to defend his coming to power in 2019?

 The former president recalled that the TCP recognized and extended her mandate as president of the country. She also pointed out that she was recognized by countries allied to Evo Morales.

Former president Jeanine Añez addressed the magistrates of the Plurinational Constitutional Tribunal (TCP) in a letter in which she exposed five elements that, she assures, opened the way to the presidential succession and validated her mandate as constitutional president of Bolivia. In this context, she rejected the crimes for which she is being prosecuted before the ordinary justice system. 

The former president asks the TCP to resolve the Concrete Unconstitutionality Action she filed against Articles 153 and 154 of the Penal Code referring to the crimes of "resolutions contrary to the Constitution and the laws" and "breach of duties" and to ratify the constitutionality of her government.

 "Next, I remind you of the history that you know, and that today you intend to bury, detailing: 1) the context of the crisis of 2019; 2) the international recognition to my government management; 3) the institutional recognition to my constitutional management; 4) the demonstration that it corresponded to me to assume the presidency of the Senate in November 2019; and 5) remind you that if you accept that I had violated the Constitution, well, you would be my main accomplices, because you communicated that the immediate succession corresponded, received me personally, admitted my presidential resources, and recognized and extended my mandate", reads the missive.

1) The crisis of 2019

Añez recalls that the crisis of 2019 had its origin in the maneuvers carried out by former President Evo Morales in search of a third and later fourth term in office when the Political Constitution of the State promulgated by him only guaranteed two terms.

The former president emphasized that Morales even ignored the binding referendum of February 21, 2016 to run again for the presidency under the argument that it was his "human right" and indicated that the former president himself announced the annulment of the 2019 elections.

In Añez's opinion, this action represents the recognition of the fraud and irregularities detected by the OAS audit that his government had requested.

Añez maintains that his constitutional succession was given before the resignation of Morales, who "ordered to empty the constitutional succession".

2) International recognition

The former president emphasized that her succession was recognized by the international community, the United Nations, the OAS, the European Union, countries of the region and even by governments allied with former president Morales, such as Russia and China.

3) Institutional recognition

Añez also stressed that the Bolivian State institutions, including the Supreme Court of Justice, the new Supreme Electoral Tribunal and the departmental electoral tribunals, the Public Prosecutor's Office, the Ombudsman's Office, governors' and mayors' offices, among others, recognized the constitutional succession.  

However, he pointed out that the most important recognition was from the TCP and the Plurinational Legislative Assembly (ALP), which had 2/3 of the MAS.

She recalled that the TCP issued a public statement on November 12, 2019, ratifying the validity of the constitutional declaration of 2001, which allowed her presidential succession "ipso facto", but also pointed out that they issued a constitutional declaration in 2020 that recognized and extended her mandate.

She also noted that they received her as constitutional president to inaugurate the judicial year and the constitutional year.

She also pointed out that, together with the presidents of the Senate Eva Copa and of Deputies Sergio Choque, she promulgated the law that called for new elections, and that during her transitory administration 78 laws were promulgated that counted with the 2/3 of the MAS parliamentarians.

 4) Presidency of the Senate

Añez cited article 41 of the Senate's regulations which states that it is the attribution of the second vice-president or second vice-president to replace the president and the first vice-president when both are absent due to any impediment and affirmed that before November 2019 this article was applied with her person; on June 5 and September 5 of that year.

The former president also recalled that Adriana Salvatierra, in her capacity as president of the Senate, assumed as interim president of the country in the absence of the two presidents.

"Since 1982 it was the first and only time that Bolivia was left without a president, without transfer of command, without a cabinet, without chamber presidencies, without a government; even worse, encouraging the establishment of a military regime in the face of the power vacuum. The most flagrant and anti-democratic breach of duty in our history was perpetrated by Evo Morales. I, Jeanine Añez, did my duty", she said.

 5) Resolutions "contrary" to the Constitution

The former president affirmed that she has several instruments and actions that validate the constitutionality of her mandate and indicated that, therefore, the Concrete Unconstitutionality Action she filed should be admitted and ruled upon.

"Magistrates, if on 12-Nov'19 I did something unconstitutional, well you did it eleven times. Either you admit my action or you sign your sentence of customary prevaricators (...) you did your part, because as Constitutional Tribunal you recognized and extended my mandate, you communicated it publicly, you received me in solemn acts, and you admitted and processed my presidential appeals. How can you remain silent before the fable of the 'coup' for 'resolutions contrary to the Constitution'?", the document states in the final paragraphs of the letter. 

Max Mendoza traveled to 8 countries in three years and spent over US$23,000

 The university leader and member of the CEUB presidium visited several capital cities abroad to attend congresses, political meetings and even sporting events.

The top university leader and member of the Presidium of the Executive Committee of the Bolivian University (CEUB), Max Mendoza Parra, traveled to eight countries between 2018 and 2021. He visited capital cities and in some cases went more than once.

According to Accounting reports and reports of payment to beneficiary by source and agency of the Ministry of Economy and Public Finance dated May 16, accessed by EL DEBER, per diem allowances abroad amounting to Bs 160,566, 37 and corresponding to more than $23,000 are recorded.

Mendoza is questioned for extending himself in power for 10 years and taking university courses since 1989. There are already four criminal lawsuits and he is accused of having committed more than six crimes.

The plaintiffs are demanding the return of more than one million Bolivianos to the State, which is the sum of the salaries received in four years. The CEUB suspended payments to Mendoza.

Per diems designated in 2018.

In 2018, the university leader traveled to four cities abroad. Without specifying the reasons and a few weeks after his appointment as a member of the CEUB, the preventive voucher No. 278 of June 11, details that Mendoza made a trip to Argentina and Bs 6,842 were allocated.

A month later, an expense of Bs 10,947.80 is recorded for a trip to Havana, Cuba.

On October 10 of that year, a trip for Bs 10,663.66 to the United States is shown. After 21 days, an allowance of Bs 13,684.75 for travel expenses to Mexico is also detailed.

Six trips in 2019 

During the 2019 administration, he made six trips. This time to Lima-Peru, Alicante-Spain, Caracas-Venezuela (twice), Miami-United States and Havana-Cuba.

The expenses for the six destinations amount to Bs 61,800.54 and in another part of the document there is an amount of Bs 753 for administrative procedures to acquire a visa before the Embassy of Spain.

The reasons for the trips would be for higher education meetings, a conference on financial administrative management, a congress of the Latin American and Caribbean Continental Organization of Students (OCLAE), a pedagogy congress and cooperation issues and scientific activities.

The pandemic did not stop him

Before the start of the coronavirus pandemic, Mendoza left the country from January 31 to February 7, 2020 to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for a university sports meeting in America. This trip cost Bs 7,146.60.

The following day, from February 8 to 17, he was in Havana, Cuba to attend the International Congress on Higher Education. Per diems amounted to Bs 12,622.80.

From November 11 to 18, he spent Bs 14,616 to go to Miami, United States to meet with Global Sten Cells Group.

Although he traveled abroad only three times, he made other trips to four cities in the country, visiting Santa Cruz (2), Cochabamba (4), Trinidad (5) and Tarija.

What happened in 2021?

When Luis Arce was one year into his term as president, the university leader traveled to New York, United States from October 17 to 24 to attend the Columbus Day parade. He was assigned Bs 12,993.

The economic report also records a trip to Guadalajara, Mexico. The State assigned him Bs 10,022.40 to attend a meeting convened by OCLAE.

According to the last record of a trip abroad, he also went again to Guadalajara, this time for the 91st anniversary of university autonomy. Per diems total Bs 13,828.20.

In 2022, only trips to Cochabamba, Sucre, Yacuiba and Oruro are shown. 

Government and COB establish 3% wage increase for the basic salary and 4% for the national minimum wage

 The national government and the Central Obrera Boliviana (COB) established on Wednesday night a wage increase of 3% for the basic salary and 4% for the national minimum, in order to maintain the security and economic stability of the country.

This decision was taken at a meeting between President Luis Arce, ministers of State and the main representatives of the COB, headed by Juan Carlos Huarachi, at the Casa Grande del Pueblo.

"It has been agreed that the increase of the basic salary for 2022 will be 3% and the increase of the national minimum wage will be 4%", informed the President in a press conference.

Arce ratified his commitment to continue working for the welfare of Bolivians and acknowledged the maturity of the COB leaders to assume this decision for the good of the economy and stability of the country.

Arce said that in that meeting, which lasted about 4 hours, the COB workers were explained "in detail" the technical data handled by the government on the current economic situation, after overcoming the effects of COVID-19 and the mismanagement left by the de facto government.

"We are absolutely aware that this first achievement will give us the basis to continue advancing in all the pending issues with the COB," he said.

For his part, the executive secretary of the COB, Juan Carlos Huarachi, welcomed the willingness and commitment of the head of state to meet the demands of the workers and ratified that this organization will continue working to improve the productive apparatus.

"We are once again ratifying a commitment that we workers are going to guarantee the political stability of our Government", he endorsed.

Cochabamba: Chilean citizen gunned down in broad daylight

  A 46-year-old Chilean citizen was attacked by a man, presumably also a foreigner, who shot him four times in different parts of his body. The police presumes that there are other people involved in this case.

The departmental commander of the Police, Rubén Lobatón, informed that a man of Chilean nationality who used crutches to move around with his partner was getting into his vehicle after leaving a micro-market on América Avenue between Héctor Cossio and Washington Streets. When the victim entered her vehicle and while the woman was surrounding the van, a man appeared to directly fire five shots: four in the man's body and one in the vehicle.

In the images of the security cameras of the businesses, it is observed -before the shots were fired- two subjects walking seconds after the victim, together with her partner, was leaving the micro-market. One had a helmet and a backpack, while the other only had a backpack.

Lobaton said that plan "Z" was activated to find this or other subjects who participated in this attack against the Chilean. The investigations have already begun and with the support of the security cameras of the neighboring properties it will be possible to catch the alleged perpetrators of the bloodshed. According to witnesses who were there when the bloodshed occurred, everything was quiet as usual, until they heard a scream and gunshots; they did not leave out of fear, but they did see the woman (wife of the Chilean), trembling and nervous.

"It was all normal, until I heard gunshots. I got scared, I was afraid. It was gunshots and I did not go out or help, I stayed and hid", was the account of one of the witnesses. 

Unofficially it is known that the health of the Chilean is delicate due to the fact that the bullet impacts compromised organs that complicate his recovery. The wounded man was taken to the María de los Ángeles clinic, where he underwent surgeries to save his life; however, he lost his left eye due to the bullet impact. The police authority indicated that the case is under investigation. There are several hypotheses, among them, a settling of scores.

From Pumari to Costas, Camacho turned his back on five allies

 Vladimir Peña indicated that the Governor of Santa Cruz "has become the Judas of the opposition". Creemos, the political front he leads, defends him.

Luis Fernando Camacho, governor of Santa Cruz, turned his back on five of his allies. Santa Cruz politicians qualify him as a disloyal person who now seeks to "take out of the game" regional figures that could overshadow him.

The people with whom he had this behavior are: Marco Pumari, Jeanine Añez, Angélica Sosa, Jhonny Fernández and Rubén Costas.

In December 2021, former civic leader Marco Pumari, who was his candidate for Vice-President in 2020, was arrested due to the 2019 post-electoral conflicts. Camacho could not make it to Potosí to follow up on the case. "Camacho did not defend neither Pumari who was his running mate, nor his bench", argued Nadia Beller, jurist and former legislator candidate.

On December 8, 2019, an audio was broadcast in which a voice attributed to Pumari asks Camacho for Customs and 250 thousand dollars. In an interview on CNN, the Santa Cruz native was in evidence as the one who leaked that material to the media.

In March, Camacho pointed against the "corruption" of the transitional government. However, according to sources of that administration, when Jeanine Añez assumed the Presidency, the then civic "went with a list to appoint ministers". They indicate that he placed people he trusted at the head of at least eight ministries.

Congressman Omar Rueda, from Creemos, detailed that for the general elections of 2020 Jhonny Fernández lent Camacho the acronym of Unión Cívica Solidaridad (UCS) so that he could run.

"UCS lent Camacho the acronym for a national project and used it for a departmental project only for him to benefit. He made an agreement with Angélica Sosa (...). When it was the subnational elections he asked us for support for Sosa, and we could not betray Jhonny, as deputies of the UCS faction", he indicated.

In December 2021, Camacho argued that there was an alleged conspiracy between the Movimiento Al Socialismo and former mayors Percy Fernández and Sosa, for the case of phantom items. "The height of cynicism. The scandal of the 800 items occurred when MAS was an ally of that administration", he emphasized.

Desirée Bravo, former councilwoman of Santa Cruz Para Todos (SPT), detailed that Sosa supported Camacho for both national and subnational elections. "Architect Sosa announced that SPT made alliance with Camacho for the national issue and then for the Governorship. It shows that he is a politician like those of the past, that when the ship sinks, he jumps," he complemented.

In the last month of last year, the Santa Cruz Government denounced Rubén Costas for allegedly using resources from the fight against covid for the propaganda of his mayoral candidates. Days ago, the Governor branded his predecessor as a traitor of the autonomy.

Vladimir Peña, former member of Demócratas, indicated that Costas was warned that an alliance with Camacho was risky because he would be disloyal to him.

"Camacho handed Costas and the Democrats on a silver platter to MAS. He made use of the Democrats to get to the governorship, so that they would not put up a candidate and so that he would give them his structure for the campaign and electoral control. Camacho has become the Judas of the opposition", said Peña.

Beller expressed that the Governor of Santa Cruz does not want to have competition in Santa Cruz, as he did when he was candidate for Governor. He added that with these actions he wants to divert the attention on "his bad management".

"To Angélica Sosa he denied her, after she supported him in his campaign. With Jhonny Fernandez he fought and that he lent him the acronym to be a candidate. He had quotas in the transition and denied Jeanine Añez. It is the disloyal character that Camacho has, he is disloyal with himself and with his principles. Many people supported him and now he received Camacho's stab", he added.

Página Siete called and sent a message to Camacho to have his counterpart. The Communication Unit of the Governor's Office referred as spokesman to Congressman Andres Romero, who said that there is a commission in charge of the follow-up of the Pumari process. At the same time he maintained that the ministries in the transition were a request of the civic movement.

"The Civic Committee made a call not to divide the vote, so not only one alliance, all the political tents gave their support to Luis Fernando Camacho", said the opponent. 

Wage increase was not discussed: after the meeting with the minister, businessmen say that the negative effects will be the government's responsibility

 In the words of the president of the private businessmen, Luis Barbery, there was no opportunity to talk about the salary increase in the first meeting held this Monday with the Ministry of Economy. "Absolutely nothing, there was no need to touch that subject because the positions are already clear, the Government has its own position, and so do the businessmen. The concerns we have regarding the effects of the salary increase have not changed, it is the Government's responsibility", he said at the end of the meeting that lasted two hours.

"We are going to abide by the law, and the Government will have to bear the consequences (of the increase)", Barbery stressed, warning that the businessmen cannot sustain the increase "because the conditions of the country do not allow for it".

He also said that they have agreed to meet periodically to discuss all issues related to economic reactivation and employment generation.

The expected meeting of the businessmen with the Government was a disappointment for the workers because the wage increase was not addressed in this meeting, this was also confirmed by the Minister of Economy, Marcelo Montenegro.

"No, the issue was not raised by the businessmen, only the ones we have mentioned", said the minister when he was consulted about the wage negotiation that should have been part of this meeting.

Meanwhile, the businessmen stated that it is no longer possible to talk about the wage increase because the positions are clear and that they will abide by the Government's decree on this issue.  

The president of the Confederation of Private Businessmen of Bolivia (CEPB), Luis Barbery left the meeting in a little less than two hours. The businessmen refused to explain how much a significant salary increase would affect the sector and only said that the Government is responsible for the management of the country's economy and that the private sector will abide by the provisions.

The Executive is expected to issue the wage increase decree on May 1 in honor of Workers' Day and is now holding meetings with workers to set the percentage increase to the national minimum wage and the workers' basic wage.

According to Minister Montenegro, the businessmen addressed issues such as agribusiness, ethanol supply, the supply chain, foreign trade and the regulation of export procedures.

After President Arce's son denounces YPFB case, Ethics Tribunal issues ruling against Amalia Pando

 After the son of President Luis Arce, Luis Marcelo Arce Mosqueira, filed a complaint before the National Tribunal of Journalistic Ethics (TNEP) of the Association of Journalists of La Paz (APLP) about a case related to YPFB, that body issued a resolution against journalist Amalia Pando.

"That journalist Amalia Pando Vega must observe in her journalistic work the ethical requirement of truthfulness and contextualization of the facts she reports", states point 1 of Resolution 005/2022, which was signed by the members of the Journalistic Ethics Tribunal, issued last April 20.

It also states that journalist Pando must consider the ethical requirement of informative balance, which obliges her to present different facets of the information, consulting both parties and counterparts.

Furthermore, in the spirit of respect for the differentiation between information and opinion, she is recommended to apply this requirement in her journalistic work.

You can also read: President Arce's son is reported to have worked in YPFB with a salary of Bs 35,000.

"Within the non-punitive, but ethical scope of the (TNEP), journalist Amalia Pando, and under Article 25, numeral 1, of its Operating Regulations, must ratify through the right to reply the published journalistic note with the pertinent clarifications or formulating the apologies of the case", resolved the Court.

On January 30, journalist Pando, through her program Cabildeó Digital, published the article entitled: "The secret negotiation of Arce's son with Venezuela", in which she pointed out that the eldest son of President Luis Arce traveled in April 2021 to Caracas to negotiate the possibility that the state-owned Petroquímica de Venezuela would take over the Urea Plant operated by YPFB.

The TNEP mentions that Arce Mosqueira's complaint was admitted last March 24, after which both parties were notified.