Leonardo Loza, governor of Cochabamba, stated that he is not afraid of the investigations against him and challenged those making accusations to initiate 'thousands of processes'. Loza claimed he has committed no crimes and denounced a 'supposed political persecution'.
The governor of Cochabamba, Leonardo Loza, delivered a defiant message on Monday to those making accusations against him: "They can initiate thousands of processes against me; I am not afraid". Loza asserted that he has committed no crime nor violated the Political Constitution of the State (CPE), which is why he feels at ease regarding any judicial investigation.
A history of judicial processes
Loza recalled that throughout various governments he has faced multiple legal cases. During the administration of Jeanine Áñez and her then Minister of Government, Arturo Murillo, he claimed to have been the subject of seven processes. Under former president Luis Arce's administration, he stated he faced between four and five cases.
"In terms of arrests of leaders, I only escaped processes during Evo's time," Loza said, referring to former president Evo Morales. The governor maintained that there is a "supposed political persecution" against leaders of social organizations.
Accusations of financing blockades
Loza's statements come in a context of political and social tension. The governor categorically rejected accusations linking him to the financing or organization of the recent road blockades that affected the supply of food, fuel, and other essential services in the country for 53 days.
"We have been accused of financing, that is completely false. Let them investigate, let them initiate, if they want, thousands of processes, there is no problem," Loza insisted. He assured that he remained in Cochabamba during the moments of tension and did not leave the department.
Detention of social leader
Loza's statements coincide with the day the Fifth Criminal Instruction Court of La Paz determined preventive detention for six months in the Chonchocoro prison for the executive of the Túpac Katari Departmental Federation of Peasants of La Paz, Vicente Salazar. Salazar is being investigated for his alleged participation in the road blockades.
The precautionary hearing took place after the Public Ministry presented a formal indictment against him, identifying him as a probable author of five crimes related to the mobilizations recorded between May and June of this year. Initially, it was requested that the detention be in San Pedro prison in La Paz, but the requirement was changed to the maximum-security prison.
When asked about Salazar's detention, Loza avoided commenting directly but hinted at his support for social leaders. "Those who do not commit crimes, those who do not violate the Constitution, have nothing to fear," he reiterated.
For the citizens of Cochabamba and the rest of the country, these statements add more uncertainty to an already tense political climate. The 53-day blockades resulted in millions in economic losses and shortages. Loza's defiant attitude could further strain relations between the departmental government and the national government, as well as with the judicial system.
The governor, who began his term five years ago, remains firm in his stance. It remains to be seen if the investigations progress and if, as he claims, he has nothing to fear. In the meantime, the country watches closely for the next judicial and political moves.
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