Former Bolivian President Jeanine Anez begins hunger strike hours before trial

By Laura Gamba

BOGOTA, Colombia (AA) - Former Bolivian interim President Jeanine Anez, started a hunger strike Wednesday, one day before she is to be tried for alleged crimes in proclaiming herself president in 2019.

“Bolivians: today from my cell in Miraflores (prison), La Paz, I made one of the hardest decisions of my life. Today I am going on a hunger strike. I am desperate seeing a country without justice or law,” Anez said in a letter read to the media by her daughter, Caroline Rivera.

Anez and former military and police commanders will be tried beginning Thursday for Constitution violations in the process that culminated in the self-proclamation of the de facto government.

Bolivia seeks to resolve a crisis that erupted during the Oct. 20, 2019 election when the Organization of American States (OAS) regional bloc issued a report on irregularities as Evo Morales was declared president for a fourth consecutive term.

After Morales fled in November 2019, Anez declared herself the country’s interim president without having a quorum in parliament.

In late 2020, a new election was called that was won by Luis Arce, an ally of Morales.

Since the change of government, various officials from the interim government have been detained.

Anez has been detained since March 2021 and since that time she has complained about the lack of guarantees in her process.

“I am sick, but I will dedicate my last strength to show the country and the world that these men of power (Evo Morales and Luis Arce), will not be able to hide from history the fraud they committed,” she said in the letter.