"Coup Adventure": Prosecutors Admit New Complaint Against Salazar, Argollo, and Condori for Blockades

Bolivian prosecutors have accepted a new criminal complaint against key figures involved in the country's recent 53-day road blockade crisis. The complaint, initiated by Deputy Edgar Zegarra, targets leaders such as Mario Argollo, executive secretary of the Bolivian Workers' Central (COB), and former peasant leader Vicente Salazar, who is already imprisoned on other charges.

Zegarra stated that the Fiscalía has designated an investigator to examine the allegations, which include criminal organization, manslaughter, and attacks on transportation and public health services. He emphasized the severe impact of the blockades, citing the deaths of over 16 people and the violation of human rights, particularly for transport workers who were deprived of food and medical supplies. Residents in cities like El Alto and La Paz were also effectively confined to their homes.

The blockades, which demanded the resignation of President Rodrigo Paz, plunged Bolivia into a profound crisis, leading to substantial economic losses and the closure of numerous businesses. Zegarra asserted that those responsible must now face consequences for what he termed a "coup adventure" that sought to undermine the country's constitution and laws.

This new legal action adds to the extensive judicial response to the unrest. The Public Prosecutor's Office reported in early July that it had opened 148 criminal investigation processes across seven of Bolivia's nine departments stemming from the May and June blockades.