Bolivian ex-president Anez leaves prison after sentence annuled

Deutsche Tageszeitung - Bolivian ex-president Anez leaves prison after sentence annuled

Bolivian ex-president Anez leaves prison after sentence annuled / Photo: © AFP

Anez, 58, was greeted by relatives and supporters as she emerged from a women's penitentiary in La Paz waving a Bolivian flag.

"I will never regret having served my country," she said through a loudspeaker at the prison gates.

Anez, a former senator, served as interim leader in 2019 after then-President Evo Morales fled the country following mass protests over alleged election fraud.

She famously brandished a large bible on taking office, declaring "Thank God, the bible has returned to the Bolivian government."

This was seen as a slight against Bolivia's Indigenous people, who include Morales, the first from this community to serve as Bolivia's president.

In 2019 he ran for a highly contentious fourth term but after weeks of deadly unrest over his disputed victory claim, the military called for him to step down.

Morales' party accused the opposition of staging a coup -- a claim dismissed as fictional by many because the army never took power.

Anez was arrested in 2021 after Morales' socialist party returned to power in 2020, and she was convicted of illegally assuming the presidency.

"There was never a coup d'etat. What happened was electoral fraud that led all Bolivians to demand our right to have our votes respected," Anez said on Thursday.

The Supreme Court said it overturned her sentence on grounds that Anez should have been tried by a special court in charge of alleged crimes by lawmakers in the course of their duties, by the criminal justice system.

Her release comes two days before Bolivia's new centre-right president-elect Rodrigo Paz is sworn in, ending two decades of socialism ushered in by Morales.

(B.Izyumov--DTZ)

Guterres Warns Against Building Peace on a 'Burning Planet' in Cop31 Farewell

António Guterres has issued a stark warning against building peace on a "burning planet" during his final address at the Cop31 climate summit. As world leaders depart and negotiations persist, the outgoing UN chief emphasized that climate action is central to every aspect of global governance and human survival.

Iran Warns South Korea Against Naval Expansion Near Strait of Hormuz

Iran has formally warned South Korea against deploying naval forces near the Strait of Hormuz, characterizing Seoul’s plan to extend the mission of its antipiracy unit as a hostile act tied to the conflict between the United States and Iran. The diplomatic dispute arises as South Korea seeks legislative approval to broaden the operational scope of the Cheonghae Unit.

Miss Universe Visa Controversy: Zambia and Congo Winners Denied Entry

The winners of the Miss Universe pageant representing Zambia and the Republic of the Congo have been unable to obtain visas to enter the United States. This development underscores the impact of sweeping travel restrictions imposed by the US government during Donald Trump's second administration, which have affected dozens of countries, particularly those in Africa.

Judge Denies Peltola Campaign’s Request for Alaska Absentee Ballot Data

An Anchorage Superior Court judge on Wednesday denied a lawsuit filed by the campaign of Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Mary Peltola, which sought detailed data on rejected absentee ballots from the Alaska Division of Elections. The ruling halts the campaign’s attempt to identify voters whose ballots were invalidated and understand the specific reasons for those rejections while the state continues its critical vote-counting operations.