10/17/2020 4:11 PM
Clarín.com
Politics
Updated 10/17/2020 4:11 PM
The Bolivian Interior Minister, Arturo Murillo, assured this Saturday in a press conference that the deputy of the Frente de Todos Federico Fagioli was not arrested at the El Alto International Airport when he arrived in the neighboring country to act as an observer in the presidential elections.
“Last night there was a stream of disinformation indicating that Argentine deputies had been arrested.
That never happened
.
The Bolivian Police or Immigration never detained anyone, "said the minister.
And he added: “Yes, Mr. Fagioli, an Argentine deputy, was told that he was not welcome to Bolivia and that he should please return to his country.
He came with other Argentine deputies.
With the others there was no problem, "he added.
In addition, Murillo explained that Fagioli
"lied to Migrations about his previous income to Bolivia,"
which constitutes a crime, since he denied having entered the country on past occasions, when he did so twice, in October and in November. of 2019.
Federico Fagioli, deputy of Frente de Todos.
Photo Capture
"Fagioli is not welcome in Bolivia,"
said Murillo, explaining that the deputy falsified information about what happened in the protests in Sentaka and Sacaba in 2019.
His entry was authorized after the request of the president of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE), Salvador Romero, and the Organization of American States (OAS).
In addition, Murillo stressed that Fagioli does not belong to any official commission of observers of the general elections, but is a guest of the president of the Senate (MAS), Eva Copa.
“We hope with open arms absolutely all the veedores who want to come.
(...) The only thing we ask is that they do not interfere, that they do not come to get into internal problems.
Bolivians are already mature enough to resolve our issues at the polls, "he said.
"I want to make it clear that the safety of absolutely all observers and those who are not observers, of whom the MAS has invited, is absolutely guaranteed in our country, because our country is 100% democratic," Murillo said at a press conference .
In addition to Fagioli, the Argentine delegation that traveled to Bolivia to participate as observers in the elections this Sunday is made up of the national deputy Paula Penacca, the deputy Leonardo Grosso and the senator Guillermo Snopek.
The President of the Nation, Alberto Fernández, denounced what happened by assuring that the Argentine mission was "mistreated" and warned the interim president of Bolivia, Jeanine Áñez, that "it is the direct responsibility" of his Government to "preserve the integrity of the delegation ”.
For her part, the president of the Chamber of Senators, Eva Copa, who made the invitation to Argentine deputies, expressed her "solidarity" this Saturday through social networks.
“I express my solidarity to the Argentine deputy Federico Fagioli, who was invited by the Legislative Assembly to participate as an observer in the general elections.
There are only a few days left for Bolivia to return to the path of democracy, "he wrote on his Twitter account.
I express my solidarity to the Argentine deputy @Fede_FagioliOK, who was invited by the Legislative Assembly to participate as an observer in the general elections.
There are just a few days before #Bolivia returns to the path of democracy.
pic.twitter.com/fmWUprk8zj
- Eva Copa (@EvaCopa_Bol) October 17, 2020
At dawn and through social networks, Penacca showed a video where she is heard arguing with immigration officials and wrote: "Now the Bolivian police attack with weapons and an order where they accuse the deputy Federico Fagioli for having committed crimes against humanity. Just to prevent us from fulfilling our role as overseers. "
Fagioli, for his part, related what happened in dialogue with
Radio 10
on Saturday morning: “They wanted to make me sign a document because they considered me responsible for
crimes against humanity
.
Of course we do not sign those papers, "he said.
Argentine legislators were mistreated when arriving in La Paz to fulfill their duties as observers of the elections next Sunday.
It is the direct responsibility of the de facto government of @JeanineAnez to preserve the integrity of the Argentine delegation. # EleccionesBolivia2020 https://t.co/MiMjt497bj
- Alberto Fernández (@alferdez) October 17, 2020
"After several hours they sent a group of police and military forces without identifying themselves, all hooded, they took us out by force and told us that we were going to have a meeting inside the airport," the deputy began by recounting.
Before this announcement, they required the presence of a representative of the Embassy.
At one point, Fagioli recounted, they tried to separate him from Embassy staff and put him inside an unidentified van.
"They practically tried to kidnap me," he
said.
This Saturday, the deputy and the rest of the delegation are at the Argentine Embassy in La Paz, where Fagioli assured:
"I am no longer detained, nor am I accused of absolutely anything
.
"
PJB
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