Jeanine Áñez Charged for Senkata Massacre in Bolivia

Former de facto ruler of Bolivia Jeanine Áñez could face a sentence of 30 years in prison after being charged for the crimes of genocide and homicide during the Senkata massacre in November 2019, days after the ousting of former President Evo Morales.

On Tuesday, April 18, Bolivia’s Attorney General presented the formal accusation before the First Precautionary Criminal Court of El Alto. It also requested preventive detention for six months in Miraflores prison while the investigation advances.

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The former dictator is serving a 10-year sentence in that prison for the Coup D’état II case, a trial that convicted her for pursuing an unconstitutional route to assume the presidency during the 2019 coup d’état.

“The undersigned prosecutors … formally charge: Jeanine Áñez Chávez for the commission of the crime of murder leading to 10 deceased persons … and attempted murder in relation to the 90 injured,” stated out the prosecution.

Tres años y cinco meses después, la comisión de Fiscales que investiga la Masacre de Senkata (19 nov2019, ciudad de El Alto), imputó formalmente, para que se le investigue, a ex Pdta. de facto Jeanine Añez. En la masacre fueron asesinadas 11 personas y decenas heridas: @teleSURtv pic.twitter.com/Pnjw8t0j0o
— Freddy Morales (@FreddyteleSUR) April 18, 2023

The Public Ministry accuses Áñez of being responsible for the deaths registered last November 2019, when Áñez issued decree 4078 that allowed joint operations between the Armed Forces and the Police and absolved the security forces of any culpability regarding excessive force used to quell demonstrations. These demonstrations condemned the coup d’état that, days before, had ousted the president at the time, Evo Morales.

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According to the Attorney General, in November 2019, a power structure aimed at exercising violent repression was formed, despite the fact that they knew that this would cause the death of people and injuries to others.

Prosecutors added that Áñez acted in complicity with former de facto government ministers Arturo Murillo and Defense Minister Fernando López in issuing Supreme Decree 4078 (known as “the death decree”), which exonerated the police and military from criminal liability in the repression against protesters.

“These action implicitly encourage the use of firearms, since it exonerated the Armed Forces from criminal responsibility,” the prosecution added.

(RedRadioVE) by Ana Perdigón

Translation: Orinoco Tribune

OT/JRE/SL