Former Bolivian President Luis Arce held in pretrial detention on corruption charges

Former Bolivian President Luis Arce Catacora was placed in pretrial detention on Friday, two days after he was arrested in La Paz as part of an investigation into corruption charges when he was a minister.

During a video hearing, Judge Elmer Laura ordered him placed in pretrial detention in the capital’s San Pedro prison.

The prosecution had requested that he be held in pretrial detention for three months.

Luis Arce is accused of authorizing, when he was economy minister under former President Evo Morales (2006-2019), the transfer of public funds to the accounts of local officials to develop undercompleted agricultural projects.

These supposed irregular transfers were made through the General Fund for the Development of Indigenous Peoples (FONDIOC), a body that has since ceased to function.

Arce is currently on trial for dereliction of duty and economic misconduct.

The former chief said from the police station, where he has been detained since Wednesday, “I am completely innocent of the accusations that are being leveled against me for obvious political reasons”.

At the end of the hearing, he was transferred to San Pedro prison under police guard.

Luis Arce ended his presidency term on November 8, ending nearly 20 years of socialist rule initiated by Evo Morales.

He was succeeded by center-right leader Rodrigo Paz Pereira, who immediately accused the left of leaving behind a corrupt state over alleged mismanagement.

The new government launched audits of public institutions, following which prosecutors charged six former officials of the state oil company YPFB with corruption.

Bolivia is experiencing its worst economic crisis in 40 years, exacerbated by a shortage of dollars.