Bolivian Catholic Church proposes national summit over judicial reform

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – On August 25, the president of the Bolivian Episcopal Conference (CEB), Monsignor Ricardo Centellas, proposed a national summit to enable a judicial reform. The Catholic Church – offered the prelate – may accompany the process of a change in the judicial system, were it to occur.

According to the prelate, the election of judicial authorities in the country by popular vote did not bring about a positive change: “over the years we have realized that this doesn’t work, because justice hasn’t changed,” Bishop Centellas said.

“Therefore, other alternatives must be explored so that a completely independent judicial system may truly exist.”

Consequently, the Catholic Episcopate proposed a national summit for a national reform, with the goal of “creating space for dialogue, for meeting, to design a restructuring of the Bolivian judicial system.” To this end, the Bolivian Church expressed its availability to “accompany the process of a change in the judicial system, were it to occur.”

After the Interdisciplinary Group of Independent Experts (GIEI) report was made public, the opposition stated that a change in the judicial system is required to guarantee impartial prosecutions of people identified as perpetrators of serious human rights violations in the 2019 violent clashes.

The Movimiento al Socialismo (MAS) rejected any change in the system, arguing that this process would take years and that it’s an excuse of its political rivals to delay processes and leave those responsible for the Sacaba and Senkata deaths unpunished.