Bolivia's Ex-Minister Murillo Deported: Controversy Renewed

La Paz (Bolivia), Sep 4 (AP) - A former interior minister of Bolivia, Arturo Murillo, was deported from Florida back to Bolivia late on Wednesday. He faces multiple charges, including breach of duty related to the illegal import of weapons and crimes against humanity. These charges stem from his role in a 2019 protest crackdown that resulted in numerous fatalities. Murillo had been released from a U.S. prison in June after serving a four-year sentence for money laundering. He was accused of accepting USD 532,000 in bribes to help a Florida company secure a lucrative government contract to sell tear gas. Shortly after his release, Murillo was rearrested and placed in ICE custody in Miami, where he contested his deportation for weeks, according to a Bolivian diplomat in Washington who spoke anonymously. A judge upheld the deportation order on July 29. Murillo’s deportation flight, operated by Boliviana de Aviación, was expected to land in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, early Thursday before dawn. Murillo, aged 61, was a prominent figure in the conservative interim government led by President Jeanine Áñez, which assumed power amidst deadly protests following Evo Morales' contested reelection in 2019. His deportation coincides with recent general elections that diminished the influence of Morales' MAS party. With a presidential runoff between opposition candidates slated for October, Murillo's jailed allies on the right-wing have recently secured legal victories in cases initially pursued under President Luis Arce, a former Morales associate whose 2020 election ended the interim government's reign and reinstated the left-wing establishment in Bolivia. Opposition figure and governor Luis Fernando Camacho, who was detained for his role in Morales' ousting, was released to house arrest last week as he awaits trial. Another judge dismissed charges against Áñez related to the 2019 protester deaths, referring it to a special political process for ex-heads of state. Murillo, as interior minister under Áñez, orchestrated a severe reaction against Morales' supporters, which the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights labeled a "massacre." After Arce took office, Murillo fled to the U.S., thereby avoiding arrest. The MAS government expressed its determination to hold him accountable before its term concludes. "We are waiting for him to come and serve the sentences handed down through due court processes," Justice Minister Jessica Saravia stated. Yet, with the recent political shift to the right, questions linger about the judiciary's intentions. "We do hope that the courts will enforce the sentences," commented Minister of Government Roberto Ríos. Murillo was recently convicted in absentia on two of six charges against him. He received over five years in prison for allegedly importing tear gas from Ecuador without approval and an additional eight years for purchasing overpriced tear gas from a Florida-based company for use against demonstrators. (AP) RD RD

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