24 Bolivians face up to 25 years in prison for role in failed coup
La Paz: Bolivia is putting 24 suspects on trial for their role in a failed coup attempt on June 26, with the possibility of facing up to 25 years in prison, Attorney General Cesar Adalid Siles Bazan has said.
“The investigation has advanced rapidly. In these 11 days, six formal charges have been determined, where the Prosecutor’s Office has shown sufficient evidence of criminal responsibility against these 24 people,” Siles Bazan said in an interview with Bolivia TV on Sunday.
Of the 24 suspects charged, three are under house arrest, while the remaining are in preventive detention in Bolivian prisons, he said.
Noting the seriousness of the crimes, the attorney general said the terrorism charge alone carries a sentence of 20 years in prison, which, when combined with other crimes, could lead to 25 years behind bars, Xinhua news agency reported.
On June 26, a military faction led by the now-dismissed army commander Juan Jose Zuniga used a tank to storm the government palace located at Murillo Square in the city of La Paz.
The suspects are charged with launching an armed uprising, terrorism, threatening the security of the president and other officials, destroying or damaging public property and the improper use of public goods and services.
The authorities have carried out raids on homes, military compounds and offices as part of the investigation.