LA PAZ, Dec 10 (Reuters) – Bolivian ex-President Luis Arce, who left office last month, was detained by police on Wednesday and will likely face trial as part of an investigation into alleged embezzlement, Bolivia’s Attorney General Roger Mariaca confirmed at a press conference.
Mariaca said Arce will face a regular trial as the alleged acts of embezzlement he is being held for were reportedly committed during his tenure as economy minister and not while he served as President of the South American nation.
“We are going to bring this person who is currently in custody before a judicial authority and he will be charged at a later date,” the attorney general said. “A judge will then decide whether or not he will be allowed to defend himself while still remaining free,” he added.
Earlier, Bolivia’s Ministry of Government also confirmed Arce’s arrest in connection with a corruption probe.
The investigation focuses on alleged irregular disbursements from a fund intended to finance projects for Indigenous communities during Arce’s term as economy minister under former President Evo Morales. Local media, citing investigators, reported that evidence presented in the case links Arce to the misappropriation of public funds.
If standard police procedures are followed, Arce is expected to remain in detention overnight and appear before a precautionary measures judge on Thursday.
The arrest comes less than two months after centrist candidate Rodrigo Paz won the October runoff election, ending nearly two decades of dominance by the leftist MAS party that Arce represented. Paz has pledged to tackle corruption within state institutions.
Maria Nela Prada, who served as minister to the presidency under Arce, told reporters before the press conference that the former leader may have been summoned to testify over alleged misuse of state resources.
“Of course he’s innocent,” Prada said. “This is a total abuse of power. We hope this case is not being used as an excuse for political persecution.”
Mariaca denied that Arce’s detention was part of any alleged political persecution.
(Reporting by Daniel Ramos, Kylie Madry and Lucinda Elliott. Additional reporting by Inigo Alexander. Editing by Rosalba O’Brien)
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