Bolivian protest victims unaware of legal action filed in their name

Victims of Bolivia's "Black October" protests in El Alto have expressed surprise and lack of knowledge regarding a legal "action of freedom" writ reportedly filed in their name. The legal recourse, presented in Cochabamba, aims to benefit former ministers Carlos Sánchez Berzaín and Mirtha Quevedo Acalinovic.

Roberto de la Cruz, a former activist involved in the 2003 protests, stated he was unaware of the action and questioned its validity, as neither the victims nor their representative were notified of the hearing. International media reported that a constitutional court in Cochabamba granted the writ, annulling a specific judicial act from March 25, 2009, related to the trial of responsibilities against the former government officials.

The "Black October" events in 2003 involved widespread protests and road blockades demanding the resignation of then-President Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada. These demonstrations resulted in the deaths of 67 people in El Alto, an event known as the "Gas War." Both Sánchez de Lozada and Sánchez Berzaín fled the country on October 17, 2003.

After 23 years, the legal process continues. Of the 15 ministers in Sánchez de Lozada's cabinet, ten reside abroad, three have died, and two were sentenced in 2011 along with five military commanders for their role in the "Black October" events. Efforts to contact ex-minister Sánchez Berzaín for comment were unsuccessful; he reportedly only forwarded media reports about the constitutional ruling.