Bolivia's former President Anez released from prison
Former Bolivian President Jeanine Anez has been released from prison after spending more than four years behind bars, a day after the Supreme Court annulled her 10-year sentence for alleged coup plotting.
The court overturned the 2022 conviction, which found Anez guilty of “breach of duties” and “violating the constitutional order,” citing procedural irregularities and legal inconsistencies in the ruling, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
Upon her release, Anez appeared holding the Bolivian flag, declaring, “There was never a coup in this country; there was electoral fraud.” She added that she remained ready to serve her country again if called upon.
Anez, who assumed the presidency in November 2019 following the resignation of Evo Morales amid mass protests and military pressure over disputed elections, was sentenced in what was known as the “second coup case.”
Her imprisonment had drawn international attention and criticism from human rights organizations, which questioned the fairness of the trial.
Bolivia’s political crisis erupted after the 2019 general elections, which were marred by fraud allegations. Morales later fled the country, and Anez, then the Senate’s vice president, stepped in as interim president.
New elections were held in October 2020, bringing Morales’ ally Luis Arce to power and marking Morales’ return from exile.
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