The president of the Santa Cruz Civic Committee and now presidential candidate, Fernando Camacho, explains in a video of a meeting how the pact was closed with police and military
Bolivian civic leader Fernando Camacho has acknowledged that he agreed and coordinated the protests with the Police and the Army to force President Evo Morales exit from power. Morales himself has reproached Camacho for this revelation that he would confirm according to him “irrefutable” that it was a “coup d’etat”.
Camacho, president of the Santa Cruz Civic Committee and now a presidential candidate, explains in a video of a meeting with close people that it was his father, José Luis Camacho Parada, who “closed” with the mediation of the new Minister of Defence, Fernando López, A pact with police and military. The recording has begun to circulate in social networks and the Bolivian media have echoed it.
“It was my father who closed with the military so that they do not go out (to repress); it was for that reason that the person who went to speak with them, to coordinate everything, was Fernando López, current Minister of Defense. That is why he is the Minister of Defense to fulfil their commitments”, Camacho explains. The objective was to prevent the repression of opposition protests during the November mobilizations and only after closing the negotiation with the military and police officers, on November 2, did they launch the 48-hour ultimatum for Morales to resign.
“The police in the same way. It was my father. When we were able to consolidate that both of them were not going to leave, we gave 48 hours. We asked for 48 hours because we knew that Santa Cruz could already move to La Paz. That was the problem (. ..) I think it was the hardest moment we had“, he says. Camacho’s father is the businessman José Luis Camacho Parada, former president of the Confederation of Private Entrepreneurs of Bolivia and the Federation of Private Entrepreneurs of Santa Cruz.
Evo Morales has posted the video on his Twitter account with a message asking for the intervention of justice against what he now considers a proven coup against his Government. “Camacho confirms that civics spoke with the military and police to overthrow my government. It was a coup d’etat even though Áñez, Mesa and Camacho himself try to deny it. The video is irrefutable proof. Justice must act against the coup and genocide “, he pointed out.
Camacho confirma que cívicos hablaron con militares y policías para derrocar a mi gobierno. Fue un golpe de Estado pese a que Áñez, Mesa y el propio Camacho intentan negarlo, el video es una prueba irrefutable. La justicia debe actuar contra los golpistas y genocidas. pic.twitter.com/TichPgdwOh
— Evo Morales Ayma (@evoespueblo) December 28, 2019
Morales resigned on November 10 amid protests and lack of police and military support and fled to Mexico. Jeanine Áñez, second vice president of the Senate, proclaimed herself interim president to fill the power vacuum left by the former president and the resignation of other senior officials.
Bolivia is now preparing to hold new elections in which neither Morales nor his vice president, Álvaro García Linera, may participate, in accordance with the agreement to which the MAS, and the Government of Áñez have arrived in Congress.