The former de facto president began a hunger strike on the eve of the start of the oral trial against her for crimes committed in 2019. | Photo: La Razón​

La Paz, February 19 (RHC)-- The Departmental Court of Justice of La Paz, Bolivia, has ordered the immediate attention of the former de facto president Jeanine Añez, even against her will, after incidents were recorded in the vicinity of the Miraflores Penitentiary Center when she was authorized to be transferred to a hospital center.

Judge Franklin Siñani Velasco, of the Eighth Criminal Sentencing Court, issued the new ruling stating that "taking into account the urgency of the case, the governor of the Miraflores Women's Guidance Center must instruct and ensure that the doctors of the penitentiary center."

This measure must be executed "even against the will of the plaintiff, guaranteeing the right to life of the prisoner, without further delay, to immediately begin the rehydration treatment or others that may be required".

For this purpose, specialized medical personnel, supplies and necessary equipment should be sent from the Hospital de Clínicas to the prison to reestablish the favorable health condition of Áñez, who is on her tenth day of hunger strike.

This action was initiated by Áñez on the eve of the beginning of the oral trial against her for the Coup d'Etat case, an investigation being carried out for his unconstitutional seizure of power in 2019.  According to her family doctor, the health condition of the former de facto president is stable, and did not require additional specialized medical attention.

In view of this, the magistrate stated that "despite the fact that she refuses to receive medical attention and to feed herself, it is appropriate to take active measures from the jurisdictional station"; in correspondence to the previous refusal by Áñez and her son to be evaluated by specialists from the Institute of Forensic Investigations (IDIF).

Previously, the Bolivian Justice had issued a resolution in which the judges urged the former president, detained since March 13, 2021, "to stop the extreme measure of the hunger strike and to stop making an attempt against her life."

The crimes committed by the Facto Government in Bolivia left 38 dead -- mainly in the massacres of Sacaba and Senkata -- as well as hundreds of persecuted Bolivians and many others who were victims of human rights violations.