Bolivian Judge Denies Dismissal of Corruption Case Against Former President Arce

A Bolivian anti-corruption judge has rejected a motion to dismiss charges against former President Luis Arce, who is accused of corruption during his tenure as Minister of Economy under Evo Morales. The decision means Arce will continue to be held in preventive detention as the case proceeds.

Arce's defense attorney, Fernando Rivadeneyra, condemned the ruling, calling it a violation of laws, the constitution, and human rights. He argued that the judge, Román Castro, failed to consider that the statute of limitations should apply after eight years, and that more than 16 years have passed since the alleged events in 2009. Rivadeneyra accused the judge of acting as a prosecutor and incorrectly calculating the alleged economic damage at over 330 million Bolivianos (approximately $54.1 million), when the defense claims the amount did not exceed 7 million Bolivianos ($1 million).

The former president, detained since December 2025, faces accusations of dereliction of duty and conduct detrimental to the economy. Prosecutors allege he authorized the disbursement of funds from a development fund to accounts of indigenous and peasant organization leaders for projects that were either not executed or only partially completed. Arce's defense maintains that these authorizations were made in compliance with existing laws regarding state resource management and the functioning of the fund, which were approved by Parliament at the time.

The Bolivian Prosecutor's Office asserts that the case against Arce pertains to actions taken as minister, not as president, thus requiring ordinary legal proceedings rather than a special presidential trial. Arce has had multiple requests for release denied, and his preventive detention was extended by five months in June, keeping him incarcerated until November.

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