The military's repression of those who opposed the coup d'état in Senkata resulted in the deaths of ten people and the wounding of 47 others. | Photo: Internet
La Paz, November 21 (RHC)-- The president of the Senkata Victims Association, Marisol Rodrigues, demanded justice to the Bolivian government so that what happened in this South American nation during the 2019 coup d'état does not remain in impunity.
Three years after the massacre that occurred in that town of El Alto, relatives of the victims participated in a ceremony to remember them and demand that the perpetrators be criminally prosecuted. Rodrigues stressed that the relatives are asking for "a fair process and investigation against those authorities, military and police who acted and violated their rights." He recalled that four days earlier there had been a massacre in Sacaba, Cochabamba, which left 11 dead and 120 wounded, also as a result of gunfire.
In addition, he stressed that in previous days the de facto government of Jeanine Áñez signed decree 4078, which was called the "decree of death", through which they gave carte blanche to the uniformed to massacre the people. "What we want is that what (...) happened from November 11 to November 19, 2019 does not remain in impunity", he stressed.
He regretted that after three years "there is still impunity, Mrs. Áñez has not received a process for the murders and wounded of 2019. She is in jail, but it is for another case. What we ask is that they speed up the case for Senkata and a fair investigation," he said.
On November 19, 2019, Police and Army forces repressed a demonstration of people opposed to the coup d'état and the de facto authority headed by Áñez. The demonstrators were demanding the return of democratic institutionality and the reinstatement of former President Evo Morales in his constitutional functions. Due to the shots fired by the uniformed officers, ten people lost their lives and 47 were wounded.
The Interdisciplinary Group of Independent Experts (GIEI) investigated in 2021 the events of the 2019 crisis and determined that massacres occurred in Senkata and Sacaba. A judicial process is currently underway, with several members of the military charged with crimes of terrorism, sedition and conspiracy.
Evo Morales joined the tribute to the victims, who through Twitter denounced "that the intellectual and material authors of these crimes and human rights violations benefit from impunity."
In the 25 de Julio square, in Senkata, the cultural meeting "Memory, Conscience and Justice" took place, organized by the Ombudsman's Office and with the participation of the victims' association. The Ombudsman, Pedro Callisaya, placed a wreath to the victims and expressed the importance of "keeping the memory alive to fight for the exercise of our rights".
The president of the Chamber of Senators, Andrónico Rodríguez, also recalled the event and called for the unity of the organizations demanding justice.
