2008 Sucre clashes

Violent confrontation in Chuquisaca, Bolivia September 2012 On 24 May 2008, the city of Sucre, Bolivia, experienced clashes, hostage-taking, assaults, and alleged public humiliation against primarily indigenous rural leaders and their supporters. The events arose from an announced visit from President Evo Morales, during which he was scheduled to preside over the donation of ambulances to the rural municipalities of Chuquisaca, the department of which Sucre is the capital. Prior to the planned visit, the civic movement led by the Inter-Institutional Committee and the Chuquisaca Civic Committee demanded that Morales apologize to the families of three Sucre residents who were killed in the November 2007 clashes outside the final meetings of the Bolivian Constituent Assembly. These organizations planned disruptive protests of Morales' visit. However, under pressure from the protests, Morales decided on May 24 not to attend the presentation. Participants in the civic movement protests then engaged in street clashes with peasants that came to Sucre to counter the local protestors. During the afternoon, several dozen indigenous peasants were marched by civic movement protesters to Sucre's central square, the Plaza 25 de Mayo. There, they were punched, threatened, forced to strip off their shirts and kneel, subjected to alleged racist insults, and supposedly publicly humiliated in various ways. The incident heightened political and racial tensions in Bolivia, then in the midst of a political conflict between Morales and the CONALDE group of governors. On the second anniversary of the violence, May 24, 2010, the first public draft of Bolivia's Law Against Racism was presented. In May 2011, Bolivia's Law 139 established May 24 as Bolivia's National Day against Racism and All Forms of Discrimination. Diputados declaran al 24 de mayo como Día Nacional contra el Racismo Los Tiempos 2016-03-02 2011-05-20 http://www.lostiempos.com/diario/actualidad/nacional/20110520/diputados-declaran-al-24-de-mayo-como-dia-nacional-contra-el_126527_254691.html https://web.archive.org/web/20150618090922/http://www.lostiempos.com/diario/actualidad/nacional/20110520/diputados-declaran-al-24-de-mayo-como-dia-nacional-contra-el_126527_254691.html 2015-06-18 dead Trial A large numberJanuary 2023 of officials in the Inter-Institutional Committee and Sucre's municipal government were indicted for conspiring in the violence in April and May 2010.The indictment was presented on April 24, but was not formally certified until May. Savina Cuéllar y 17 dirigentes son acusados Los Tiempos 2011-03-21 2010-04-25 http://www.lostiempos.com/diario/actualidad/nacional/20100425/savina-cuellar-y-17-dirigentes-son-acusados_67712_124065.html https://web.archive.org/web/20100427110239/http://www.lostiempos.com/diario/actualidad/nacional/20100425/savina-cuellar-y-17-dirigentes-son-acusados_67712_124065.html 2010-04-27 dead Former Inter-Institutional Committee president Jaime Barrón, who had recently been elected mayor, was suspended by the City Council and later resigned in the wake of the indictments., Sucre: Barrón se va e impulsa elecciones Los Tiempos 2010-07-21 2010-07-20 http://www.lostiempos.com/diario/actualidad/politica/20100720/sucre-barron-se-va-e-impulsa-elecciones_81269_154120.html dead https://web.archive.org/web/20100723004437/http://www.lostiempos.com/diario/actualidad/politica/20100720/sucre-barron-se-va-e-impulsa-elecciones_81269_154120.html 2010-07-23 however the trials advanced slowly. An initial trial, held in Sucre, was dissolved in August 2012 after two of the presiding judges resigned from the case. Caso 24 de mayo tiene escaso avance Los Tiempos 2016-03-02 2014-01-27 http://www.lostiempos.com/diario/actualidad/nacional/20140127/caso-24-de-mayo-tiene-escaso-avance_243091_529305.html https://web.archive.org/web/20140129023520/http://www.lostiempos.com/diario/actualidad/nacional/20140127/caso-24-de-mayo-tiene-escaso-avance_243091_529305.html 2014-01-29 dead A second trial was then held in the town of Padilla. The trial of fourteen people accused of orchestrating or participating in the May 24 violence ended in March 2016. Prosecutor Lisandro Álvarez sought 15 year sentences for the defendants, and the victims asked for 30 years. http://www.erbol.com.bo/noticia/seguridad/02032016/caso_24_de_mayo_12_personas_reciben_condena_de_6_anos Caso 24 de Mayo: 12 personas reciben condena de 6 años 2 March 2016 Erbol Digital 2 March 2016 The verdicts and sentences issued by judge Hoffman Padilla Blacutt were as shown below. http://www.paginasiete.bo/seguridad/2016/3/2/condenan-seis-anos-carcel-exautoridades-caso-mayo-88494.html Condenan a seis años de cárcel a exautoridades por caso 24 de mayo 2 March 2016 Página Siete 2 March 2016 http://www.eldeber.com.bo/bolivia/condenan-13-dirigentes-caso-24.html Condenan a 13 dirigentes por el caso 24 de mayo 2 March 2016 El Deber 2 March 2016 All sentences will be discounted for time already served in jail. On November 11, 2016, the Departmental Tribunal of Justice ruled on an appeal by the defendants, extending these sentences in 10 of the 13 cases.http://www.eldiario.net/noticias/2016/2016_11/nt161112/sociedad.php?n=29& Justicia amplía sentencia para implicados en caso 24 de mayo 2016-11-12 El Diario 2017-02-21 AccusedPosition in May 2008VerdictSentence by Judge PadillaSentence by Departmental TribunalJaime BarrónPresident, Inter-Institutional CommitteeGuilty of criminal conspiracy (coautores de Associación Delictuosa)6 years imprisonment7 years, 6 months imprisonmentJhon CavaFormer president, Civic CommitteeGuilty of criminal conspiracy6 years imprisonment7 years, 6 months imprisonmentSavina CuéllarCandidate for Prefect, Inter-Institutional Committee Alliance PartyGuilty of criminal conspiracy6 years imprisonment7 years, 6 months imprisonmentFidel HerreraMunicipal Council MemberGuilty of criminal conspiracy6 years imprisonment7 years, 6 months imprisonmentAydeé NavaMayor of SucreGuilty of criminal conspiracy6 years imprisonment7 years, 6 months imprisonmentEpifania TerrazasGuilty of criminal conspiracy6 years imprisonment7 years, 6 months imprisonmentJamill PillcoStudent leader, San Francisco Xavier UniversityGuilty of criminal conspiracy6 years imprisonment7 years, 6 months imprisonmentJuan Antonio JesúsGuilty of criminal conspiracy6 years imprisonment7 years, 6 months imprisonmentÁlvaro RíosGuilty of criminal conspiracy6 years imprisonment7 years, 6 months imprisonmentFranz QuispeUniversity leaderGuilty of criminal conspiracy Acquitted of attempted homicide6 years imprisonment7 years, 6 months imprisonmentCristian FloresGuilty of serious assault (lesiones graves)6 years, 3 months, 3 days imprisonmentConfirmed existing sentenceJuan C. ZambranaGuilty of serious assault6 years, 3 months, 3 days imprisonmentConfirmed existing sentenceFlavio Huallpa FloresGuilty of fabricating, selling, or possessing explosives.3 yearsRodrigo AnzaldoAcquitted. References Further reading Nick Buxton, "Colonial backlash: Reflections on recent racist violence in Bolivia," 28 May 2008. Defensoría del Pueblo Informe Defensorial: 24 de mayo de 2008, Sucre March 2010 Category:2008 in Bolivia Category:History of Sucre Category:May 2008 in South America Category:2008 crimes in Bolivia