Protesters Against Arrest Of Bolivian Department's Opposition Governor Seize Airport

Faizan Hashmi Published December 29, 2022 | 04:40 AM

SANTA CRUZ/BUENOS AIRES (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 29th December, 2022) Protesters against the arrest of Luis Fernando Camacho, the governor of the Bolivian department of Santa Cruz and a suspected participant in the 2019 coup against former President Evo Morales, have seized Viru Viru International Airport, a Sputnik correspondent reported on Wednesday.

Many departures have been delayed. Employees of security zones, checking passengers before boarding, have abandoned their workplaces. Passengers are trying to figure out what to do with their flights, the correspondent reported.

Earlier in the day, Interior Minister Carlos Eduardo Del Castillo Del Carpio said that the Bolivian police executed an arrest warrant against Camacho without specifying the reasons for the arrest and adding that additional information would be provided later.

The Santa Cruz department has repeatedly staged protests against various government decisions. Some politicians also consider Camacho a key figure in the coup against Evo Morales in 2019.

Camacho ran for president in 2020 but lost to the elected head of state, Luis Arce, receiving 14% of the votes.