The Plurinational Constitutional Court (TCP) of Bolivia decided to reject the unconstitutionality action presented by a criminal justice chamber to define whether the temporary former president Jeanine Áñez is tried by ordinary means or in a trial of responsibilities in one case.
The TCP of Bolivia reported this Friday in a statement that it was defined "reject the action of unconstitutionality" that was filed against an article of the law on the trial of presidents and high authorities that was promoted ex officio by the Fourth Criminal Chamber of the Departmental Court of Justice in November 2021.
In this sense, the Constitutional Court leaves it to that room to determine whether Áñez can be tried in ordinary justice or should be subjected to a trial of responsibilities.
That criminal chamber presented that action of unconstitutionality before the questioning of the competence of the Court of Anti-Corruption Instruction in Matters against Violence Against Women that defined prosecuting Áñez for the case of an alleged irregular appointment of the manager of the Bolivian Food Company ( EBA).
The alleged irregular appointment happened in 2020 for which the former Bolivian president is being investigated for alleged crimes such as resolutions contrary to the Constitution and the laws, breach of duties and anticipation or extension of functions.
"The Fourth Criminal Chamber of the Departmental Court of Justice will decide whether to ratify the jurisdiction of the ordinary court to prosecute Áñez"said a statement from the Ministry of Justice regarding the determination of the TCP.
Furthermore, it emphasizes that "The authorities that promote the normative action have the exclusive task of interpreting the ordinary legality and establishing who is protected by the questioned norm.".
Áñez’s defense at that time questioned the intention that her client be tried by ordinary means for that case since her status as former president is not respected.
Áñez has been in preventive detention for more than a year in a prison in La Paz for the case called "Coup d’etat I" in which he is accused of crimes such as conspiracy and terrorism due to the social and political crisis of 2019.
The ruling party has initiated a dozen processes against Áñez, some by ordinary means and other trials of responsibilities that Parliament must approve, although former President Evo Morales and his associates consider that the latter do not correspond because that would mean recognizing the legality of the transition.