Bolivia’s political landscape was rocked on Friday, August 22, 2025, when the nation’s Supreme Court issued a rare and urgent order: judges across the country must immediately review whether three of the country’s most prominent right-wing political figures have been detained without trial for too long. The directive, which gave departmental courts just 24 hours to scrutinize the legality of these high-profile pretrial detentions, could pave the way for the release of former interim president Jeanine Áñez, former governor Luis Fernando Camacho, and former civic leader Marco Antonio Pumari.
The move comes on the heels of a seismic shift in Bolivian politics. Just days before, a presidential election ended two decades of dominance by the leftist Movement Toward Socialism (MAS) party, led for many years by Evo Morales and his successor, Luis Arce. With a runoff now set for October 19 between centrist senator Rodrigo Paz and right-wing former president Jorge "Tuto" Quiroga, the country finds itself at a historic crossroads. According to The Associated Press, this judicial order threatens to reopen one of Bolivia’s most tumultuous and divisive chapters, the aftermath of the 2019 political crisis that ousted Morales from power.
Chief Justice Romer Saucedo’s order—obtained and reported by multiple international outlets—demands that judges verify whether the pretrial detentions of Áñez, Camacho, and Pumari comply with legal time limits and constitutional guarantees. The cases in question all stem from the dramatic events of 2019, when Morales’ contested reelection to a fourth term sparked mass protests, military intervention, and ultimately his resignation. Áñez, then a little-known senator, assumed the presidency and quickly became a polarizing figure. As president, she oversaw a harsh crackdown on protesters, resulting in at least 37 deaths during the postelection violence, as reported by the AP.
After new elections in 2020 brought MAS back to power under Arce, the tables turned. Áñez was arrested in 2021 on charges that included terrorism and sedition, all tied to her role in Morales’ ouster. In 2022, she was sentenced to ten years in prison for breaching her duties and violating the Bolivian constitution, but she still faces at least seven other open criminal cases, including those related to the deaths of protesters. Áñez has consistently argued that she should only be tried through a special impeachment process reserved for former presidents, which requires approval from two-thirds of Congress. Instead, she is being prosecuted as an ordinary citizen.
Camacho, a close political ally of Áñez and a key leader of the 2019 protests, has been in pretrial detention since late 2022. He was arrested while leading a strike against Arce’s government in Santa Cruz, the country’s economic center, and faces charges of terrorism and insurrection. Pumari, Camacho’s former running mate in the 2020 presidential elections, was detained in 2021 on similar charges connected to his role in the events that led to Morales’ fall. Both men are also implicated in the so-called "coup d'état I" case, which is still pending before Bolivia’s Constitutional Court, according to reporting by Voz Media.
The Supreme Court’s decision follows years of domestic and international criticism of Bolivia’s use of preventive detention, especially against political opponents. Human rights organizations and legal experts have long argued that the Arce government wielded the judiciary as a tool to silence dissent. Human rights lawyer Tamara Suju told Voz Media that the Supreme Court’s order is, in effect, an acknowledgment that the legal deadlines for preventive detention have been exceeded. "Áñez, Camacho, and Pumari should be released, since they all met those deadlines and were illegally extended to keep them in prison," Suju stated. If judges follow the Supreme Court’s mandate, the release of these opposition figures could be imminent.
International organizations that have denounced political persecution in Bolivia welcomed the court’s decision. Foro Madrid, an alliance that advocates for freedom across the Spanish-speaking world, called the announcement "a cause for celebration and joy." The group described the imprisonment of Áñez, Camacho, and Pumari as the result of a "corrupt, criminal, and dictatorial system," and urged that those responsible for their arrests be held accountable before international bodies. Foro Madrid also drew parallels between Bolivia’s situation and the repression seen in countries like Venezuela, Cuba, and Nicaragua.
Within Bolivia, the judiciary’s abrupt move has been met with a mix of hope, skepticism, and political calculation. The timing—just days after the MAS party’s defeat at the polls—has fueled speculation that the court is responding to shifting political winds. Eduardo Rodríguez Veltzé, a former chief justice of the Supreme Court, was blunt in his assessment: "I believe he is trying to sympathize with the changing political times," Rodríguez Veltzé told the AP, referring to Chief Justice Saucedo. "This decision reflects a careless and irresponsible handling of the authority of the Supreme Court."
For the detained politicians and their supporters, the court’s order is a long-awaited glimmer of hope. "It is not a triumph, it is a reparation; it is not a gift, it is a right," Áñez wrote on social media. "Although late, I receive it with joy and faith that justice now gives hope to all Bolivians." Camacho’s lawyer, Martín Camacho, told reporters that he expected the courts to begin reviewing his client’s case as soon as Saturday. "I hope we’ll hear immediately," he said, expressing optimism that the order could "open a way for Camacho to recover his freedom." Pumari, for his part, celebrated the news and criticized his own pretrial detention as "corrupt justice." On social media, he wrote, "Corporate groups of some judges, prosecutors, and lawyers collude to profit from the pain of the families of those deprived of liberty."
The political stakes could not be higher. Jorge "Tuto" Quiroga, the right-wing former president who will face Rodrigo Paz in the upcoming runoff, has pledged that if elected, he will free Áñez and Camacho and ensure the arrest of Evo Morales, who remains in his stronghold in the Chapare jungle, evading an arrest warrant on charges related to an alleged sexual relationship with a minor. The Supreme Court’s decision has thus become a flashpoint in Bolivia’s ongoing debate over justice, accountability, and the rule of law.
As departmental courts race to comply with the 24-hour deadline, Bolivians across the political spectrum are watching closely. For some, the court’s action is a long-overdue correction of abuses committed in the name of justice. For others, it is a troubling sign that the judiciary remains deeply entangled in the country’s ever-shifting political fortunes. Whatever the outcome, this moment marks a pivotal chapter in Bolivia’s ongoing struggle to define the boundaries between law and politics.
