Politics Prison sentence against Bolivia's ex-President Áñez overturned
The Supreme Court of Bolivia has overturned the ten-year prison sentence of former interim president Jeanine Áñez and ordered her immediate release. The verdict against her was declared null and void because the underlying criminal law had been subsequently changed, the newspaper "La Razón" quoted court president Romer Saucedo as saying. The decision is intended to guarantee the right to a fair trial.
05.11.2025, 21:38
05.11.2025, 21:39
SDA
Áñez was convicted in June 2022 for unconstitutional decisions and breaches of duty as interim president. The arch-conservative had taken over as head of a transitional government after the left-wing head of state Evo Morales was forced to resign under pressure from the military and following allegations of electoral fraud in 2019. He went abroad, but was able to return after the victory of the leading candidate Luis Arce from the left-wing MAS party in the presidential election in October 2020.
Bolivia is facing a political upheaval following the victory of Senator Rodrigo Paz Pereira in the most recent run-off election in October. The candidate of the Christian Democratic Party "Partido Demócrata Cristiano" will take up the presidency on Saturday. This marks the end of an almost two-decade-long era of left-wing governments under Morales and Arce.
