La Paz, August 11 (RHC)-- The Public Prosecutor's Office in La Paz, Bolivia, reports that it has admitted the complaint against former president Evo Morales, the leader of the Bolivian Workers' Central (COB), Juan Carlos Huarachi, and the candidates of the Movement for Socialism-Instrument for the Sovereignty of the Peoples (MAS-Ipsp) Luis Arce and David Choquehuanca.

This step opens an investigation into the alleged responsibility of these and other people in the protests that have been going on in the country for a week now.  "The complaint against these people has been admitted; the leader of the COB, Mr. Huarachi; against the former president Evo Morales; against the candidates of the MAS-Ipsp, Mr. Arce Catacora, Mr. Choquehuanca, as well as other people," said the departmental prosecutor Marco Cossío.

Prosecutor Cossío said that the de-facto government filed the complaints against the leaders, due to the blockades that have taken place since last week.

For his part, the prosecutor in the case, Alexis Vilela, said that the criminal types for which the accused are being investigated are terrorism, genocide, crimes against public health and others.

Vilela announced that the prosecutors' commission will consider issuing subpoenas to the accused so that they can be served.  Likewise, Cossío emphasized that the Public Prosecutor's Office, in following up on this complaint made by the de facto government, will act within the framework of objectivity and not under political pressure, since it does not obey a party or proceed from the "heat of the petitions."

The departmental prosecutor further indicated that since 5 August the Office of the Public Prosecutor has been conducting proceedings against 12 other persons. He also reported that this Sunday five arrest warrants were issued for the police to make them effective.

On Monday, thousands of Bolivians are still mobilized in the country, in the framework of the general strike called by the COB and supported by tens of trade and social organizations, demanding the holding of elections on September 6th.

The protests have caused the blocking of important communication routes in various regions of the country, as well as concentrations of people and hunger strikes in the vicinity of the Supreme Court of Justice.