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Misc To Do Notes

MARIA COPA - photo, unanimously elected, solidarity of MAS bench, criticism of Morales and previous administration, biography TSE members update

Corruption Article

2019-20 Bolivian Corruption Allegations

See also: Corruption in Bolivia

Background

Main article: 2019 Bolivian political crisis

On 10th Nov 2019, Evo Morales resigned amid ongoing protests and mounting pressure from several factions within Bolivia.

As of Jan 2020, more than a hundred ex-authorities of the MAS-IPSP are prosecuted, isolated, sought or apprehended for crimes ranging from terrorism and sedition to electoral fraud and misuse of state resources. Many of these are under pretrial detention or preventative detention to avoid flight from the country. In all, the mayors of 227 municipalities belong to the MAS-IPSP, as do 1,144 of the country's 2022 municipal council members.

List of Allegations

Electoral fraud charges

By the evening of the 10th November, the members of the TSE, the tribunal in charge of the Plurinational Electoral Organ were being apprehended for their involvement in the fraud allegations examined by the OAS. The TSE consists of seven directors María Eugenia Choque, Antonio Costas, Lidia Iriarte, Lucy Cruz, Édgar Gonzales and Idelfonso Mamani.

Entel

Under new management, an undeclared 1.7 billion Bs ($246 million) gap was revealed in the finances of state-owned communications company Entel. The new manager of the company, Elio Montes, described it as being used by MAS as their "petty cash box". The company was managed from 2011 to earlier in 2019, by Óscar Coca, who later became Minister of Public Works under Evo Morales. Coca had previously been denounced for corruption and financial irregularities both in 2016 and 2019. After French businessman, David Cabessa made accusations against Coca, he ended up on the receiving end of a legal battle for defamation and slander and later spoke of intimidation on Coca's orders. Cabessa was acquitted of all charges in 2019. Iván Arias, current Minister of Public Works described Coca as being previously "untouchable" because of his closeness with Morales. . Coca is currently on the run and thought to be hiding in Peru. Prosecutor Edna Montoya stated that more investigations and interviews will be forthcoming. Some identified irregularities include a large percentage of empty rural telecenters, million dollar equipment and services that were never delivered, missing bank accounts and Bs 57 million ($8.2 million) spent on "sporting events, on artists, on friends of the MAS regime". $434,000 were also set aside for the installation of wifi in the Casa del Pueblo, the newly built government buildings also dubbed Evo's Palace. DOT antennas were installed on all floors of the new Government Palace to ensure an “exclusive service” of mobile internet in the skyscraper. “[Evo] wanted to be connected to the last hidden point of the Casa del Pueblo, he has better wifi than the Bill Gates' house; They spent more than three million Bolivians on an implementation that any professional in the industry knows would not cost more than $ 1,000, it is outrageous what they have done with our company,” said the manager of Entel.

Neurona case

minister and Neurona case, Interpol - as above - as above -Lopez - other minister involved in neurona case - Lopez apprehension of a boss wrt Neurona case

MiTeleferico

- payments, firings, MAS events - Teleferico boss

Drug trafficking

- Many cases of corruption

Salvatierra

- Salvatierra - hindering of investigation - presidency quid pro quo

Other allegations

Complaints against the former director of the National Hydrocarbons Agency (ANH) Gary Medrano, Iván Canelas, son of the former governor of Cochabamba and Oscar Silva that the father of MAS party politician Valeria Silva were filed by the new director of the state-owned company, Luis Fernando Valverde, concerning misappropriation of public money for activities outside of the remit of that organisation. The accusations include the purchase of a property for $300,000 used to house hackers and digital warriors, a propaganda machine dedicated to "illegal and irrational tasks" that supported the planning of actions of some ex-authorities such as the former Minister of the Presidency, Juan Ramón Quintana. Another incident dates back to 2014 where a payment of Bs 30 million ($4.3 million) was made by the Ministry of the Economy intended as part of a disaster relief fund to the Trinidad region. Much of this money was never used and instead used to "support the political process of MAS". There were discrepancies found between what was claimed in costs and what was actually delivered to those people in need. The purchased items amounted to more 45,000 industrial ovens, 2,000 kitchens, 49,000 canisters and 45,000 valves for domestic use.

On 1 January 2020, Rafael Quispe reported economic damage through corruption of Bs 121 million ($17.5 million) to the Fund for Indigenous Development during the previous Morales administration via hundreds of projects that were never completed despite money being distributed. A previous similar accusation had surfaced in 2015 when it was alleged that Bs 71 million ($10.4 million) was misappropriated.