Former Bolivian dictator Jeanine Áñez holds a Bolivian flag from a window on Monday, August 25, at the Miraflores Women's Orientation Center in La Paz, Bolivia. Photo: Gabriel Márquez/EFE.
Caracas (OrinocoTribune.com)—A Bolivian court on Monday annulled the criminal trial against former de facto president Jeanine Áñez, ordered her release from prison, and ruled that she must face a “trial of responsibilities,” a special process for high-ranking officials that sends the case to the legislature.
The Fourth Criminal Sentencing Court of El Alto issued the decision in response to an appeal from Áñez’s defense. She has been imprisoned since 2021 on charges related to her role in the deaths of dozens of civilians during the unrest that followed the 2019 ouster of President Evo Morales. The specific charges include terrorism, conspiracy, and murder in connection with the Senkata and Sacaba massacres, where security forces violently suppressed protests.
“This court jointly declares the appeal for lack of jurisdiction well-founded,” said the court’s president, David Kasa, who is linked to political sectors opposed to the government of President Luis Arce.
CIERRAN JUICIO POR MASACRE: Juzgado de El Alto anuló 4 años de juicio por masacre de Senkata (nov2019). Decidió que a ex Pdta. Jeanine Añez le corresponde caso de Corte. Acusados se declaran víctimas. Exigen resarcimiento: David Inca, asesor de las víctimas de Senkata. @teleSURtv pic.twitter.com/RPs2O8FAnh
— Freddy Morales (@FreddyteleSUR) August 26, 2025
The court’s ruling resets the case and recommends that the Attorney General’s Office bring the accusations to the Legislative Assembly to begin a new process. A release order allows Áñez to await that trial outside prison.
Hours before the ruling, Áñez had said she would not oppose an “impartial” process but insisted it must recognize her self-proclaimed status as a “former president,” a role not recognized by Bolivian law following a coup.
Government Condemns Decision
The government of President Luis Arce condemned the court’s decision, labeling it a blatant manipulation of justice. Juan Santos Cruz, government representative for the department of La Paz, stated the ruling “was expected” given that the judge is “a member of the opposition.”
“This is a political resolution, not a legal one,” Cruz said, asserting that the court deliberately ignored evidence and victim testimonies to reach its conclusion.
A Path to Impunity?
Analysts and victims’ groups fear the decision effectively paves the way for impunity, given Bolivia’s imminent change of government. The country’s next president will belong to the right-wing opposition, and the new Legislative Assembly is expected to be composed largely of those who supported or executed the 2019 coup.
Facing this scenario, victims of the Senkata and Sacaba massacres have announced that they will take the case to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights if the Bolivian justice system fails them.
“We are on alert for a possible annulment of the trials for the 2019 massacres and the release of those responsible,” David Inca, a representative for the victims of the Senkata massacre, told the Ahora El Pueblo platform. “We are preparing a report to be presented to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.”
Inca added that the victims feel four years have been lost in their pursuit of justice.
“If the case does go to trial, we face two scenarios: the current Assembly could decide the matter by October, or the new Assembly, which will be dominated by the right, could annul the trial against Áñez,” Inca told Ahora El Pueblo. He also noted that Jorge “Tuto” Quiroga, Rodrigo Paz, Manfred Reyes Villa, and Samuel Doria Medina have repeatedly referred to Áñez and others as “political prisoners,” suggesting that the political decision has already been made.
The outrage extends to associations of those imprisoned and persecuted by the Áñez regime who reported being detained without evidence and tortured for protesting the 2019 coup.
“We were detained solely for defending Indigenous symbols like the whipala. Today, justice protects those responsible,” said one victim.
Special for Orinoco Tribune by staff
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