On Wednesday, November 5, 2025, Bolivia’s political landscape was shaken by a dramatic turn of events: the Supreme Court of Justice annulled the 10-year prison sentence against former interim President Jeanine Áñez, ordering her immediate release after more than four years behind bars. The decision, delivered in La Paz, marks a pivotal moment in the country’s ongoing reckoning with the aftermath of the 2019 political crisis—a saga that continues to divide Bolivian society and attract international attention.
According to AP News, the court’s ruling didn’t just set Áñez free; it also mandated that she face a political trial, as her defense had long demanded. The move instantly sparked a flurry of activity among her legal team, who indicated they were prepared to begin the release process as soon as the ruling was finalized.
Court President Romer Saucedo addressed the media on Wednesday, laying out the reasoning behind the decision. "The sentence was annulled based on several arguments and the vote of seven of the nine justices," Saucedo explained, as reported by AP News. He went on to clarify that the court had identified "violations of due process during Áñez’s trial through ordinary legal channels." This assessment, according to Saucedo, made the original conviction untenable and required immediate action.
Áñez was convicted and sentenced to a decade in prison for her role in assuming the presidency during a turbulent period in Bolivian history. In late 2019, the country was rocked by widespread protests following a contentious presidential election. Then-president Evo Morales, who had been in power since 2006, was declared the winner of another term. However, the Organization of American States (OAS) publicly denounced the results as fraudulent, sparking outrage and violence. Over the following weeks, at least 37 people lost their lives in clashes and unrest, and Morales ultimately resigned.
It was in this chaotic vacuum that Jeanine Áñez, then a relatively little-known opposition senator, was sworn in as interim president during a controversial National Assembly session. Her rapid ascent to the highest office in the land was viewed by some as a necessary step to restore order and by others as a coup d’état. The controversy over the legitimacy of her presidency has never truly subsided, and her subsequent prosecution became a flashpoint for political and legal debate both within Bolivia and abroad.
For more than four years, Áñez remained in prison, her case becoming a symbol for competing narratives about justice, democracy, and the rule of law in Bolivia. Her supporters argued that she was being persecuted for political reasons and that her trial was riddled with procedural irregularities. Her detractors, meanwhile, insisted that she bore responsibility for her role in the events that followed Morales’s ouster and the violence that ensued.
The Supreme Court’s decision to annul her sentence is, in many ways, a reflection of these unresolved tensions. By pointing to “violations of due process,” the court acknowledged longstanding criticisms from Áñez’s defense team and international observers who had raised concerns about the fairness of her trial. At the same time, the order for a political trial suggests that the country’s institutions are seeking a new, perhaps more transparent, way to address the allegations against her.
As reported by AP News, the court’s ruling was not unanimous but was supported by a clear majority—seven out of nine justices. This detail underscores both the gravity of the decision and the careful consideration that went into it. In the words of Court President Romer Saucedo, "The sentence’s annulment immediately orders the former president’s release." For Áñez’s family and supporters, these words were long overdue.
The 2019 crisis that led to Áñez’s rise and subsequent imprisonment was one of the most turbulent episodes in Bolivia’s recent history. Morales, a towering figure in Bolivian politics, had been the country’s first Indigenous president and a champion of the poor. His departure, under pressure from mass protests and allegations of electoral fraud, left a vacuum that the country struggled to fill. Áñez’s interim government was marked by efforts to restore order and prepare for new elections, but it also faced accusations of overreach and heavy-handedness.
The Organization of American States’ denunciation of the 2019 election results as fraudulent was a decisive factor in the chain of events that followed. Critics of Morales argued that the OAS findings vindicated their claims of electoral manipulation, while Morales’s supporters accused the organization of bias and interference. The deadly protests that erupted in the wake of the election exposed deep divisions in Bolivian society—divisions that remain raw to this day.
Áñez’s conviction, and now her release, have become touchstones in the ongoing debate over accountability and justice in Bolivia. Some see the Supreme Court’s decision as a necessary correction to a flawed legal process, while others fear it could be interpreted as a step back from holding powerful figures to account. The court’s order for a political trial is likely to keep these issues in the spotlight for months to come.
For now, Áñez’s immediate future hinges on the legal and political maneuvers that will follow the court’s decision. Her defense team, who had long argued for a political trial, expressed relief and readiness to move forward. As they await the formalities of her release, attention is turning to what a political trial might entail—and how it could reshape the broader conversation about justice in Bolivia.
While the Supreme Court’s ruling represents a dramatic reversal, it is far from the final word on the events of 2019 and their aftermath. The order for a new trial, conducted through political rather than ordinary legal channels, suggests that the country’s institutions are attempting to balance competing demands for justice, transparency, and political stability. Whether this approach will succeed in healing old wounds or simply reopen them remains to be seen.
As Bolivia navigates this uncertain moment, the eyes of the nation—and indeed, much of the world—will be watching closely. The story of Jeanine Áñez, her rise to power, her imprisonment, and now her release, is a microcosm of the challenges facing Bolivian democracy. It’s a reminder that the pursuit of justice is rarely simple, and that the past has a way of shaping the present in ways that are both unpredictable and profound.
For Jeanine Áñez, the next chapter is about to begin. For Bolivia, the search for answers—and for reconciliation—continues.
