Luis Fernando Camacho | |
|---|---|
.png) Camacho at his gubernatorial inauguration | |
| 2nd Governor of Santa Cruz | |
| Assumed office 3 May 2021[α] | |
| Vice Governor | Mario Aguilera |
| Preceded by | Rubén Costas |
| |
| In office 26 February 2019 – 29 November 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Fernando Cuéllar |
| Succeeded by | Rómulo Calvo |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Luis Fernando Camacho Vaca 15 February 1979 Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia |
| Political party | Creemos (2020–present) |
| Relatives | Eliodoro Camacho |
| Alma mater | |
| Occupation |
|
| Signature | _Luis_Fernando_Camacho.svg) |
Luis Fernando Camacho Vaca (born 15 February 1979) is a Bolivian businessman, civic leader, lawyer, and politician serving as the second governor of Santa Cruz since 2021.[α]
Early life and career edit
Luis Fernando Camacho was born on 15 February 1979 in Santa Cruz de la Sierra.[2] On his father's side, Camacho is of colla (Paceño) origin and descent. According to Eric Soria—who completed a genealogy of the family in the mid-2010s—Camacho is likely the great-great-grandson of Eliodoro Camacho, a famed veteran of the War of the Pacific who participated actively in Bolivian politics throughout the nineteenth century.[β] Further down the tree, Camacho's great-grandfather was José Félix Camacho, who served as prefect and senator for Santa Cruz in the early 1900s. The line then continues down through José Camacho Cuéllar before reaching José Luis Camacho Parada, Luis Fernando's father.[3][4]
Camacho studied law at the Private University of Santa Cruz de la Sierra (UPSA), graduating with a diploma in international commercial contracts and a master's degree in corporate law. He completed a second master's in finance and tax law at the University of Barcelona, Spain.[5] Returning to Bolivia, Camacho worked as a professor at the UPSA, teaching courses on corporate law from 2005 to 2017 and finance and tax law from 2006 to 2015. He also spent shorter yearlong stints as a professor of commercial law from 2006 to 2007 and economic law from 2007 to 2008, also at the UPSA.[6]
Outside of academia, Camacho also worked in public service as a minor official in the Santa Cruz judiciary. He spent time working as a law clerk for the First District Court in Civil and Commercial Matters of Santa Cruz before later serving as an errand officer for the city's Third District Family Court.
https://www.ahoraelpueblo.bo/camacho-inicio-su-actividad-politica-con-el-mnr-en-2002/
https://quierenlasilla.lapublica.org.bo/tbuilder-layout/camacho/#camacho
https://eju.tv/2019/01/ya-suman-23-las-proclamaciones-institucionales-del-candidato/
https://www.la-razon.com/politico/2022/10/16/camachismo-en-tiempos-de-pandemia/
El Comercio
- Law clerk for the First District Court in Civil and Commercial Matters of Santa Cruz de la Sierra.
- Oficial de Diligencias for the Third District Family Court of Santa Cruz de la Sierra.
- Director of the law firm Corporación Jurídica.
- Legal advisor for private companies.
- Part of, together with his family, Grupo Empresarial de Inversiones Nacional Vida S.A.
Official profile
- Vice President of the Santa Cruz Youth Union (2002-2004).
- Vice President of the Federation of Fraternities (2010-2012).
- Secretary General of the Provincial Civic Committees of Cruceñidad (2013-2015).
- Second Vice President of the Pro-Santa Cruz Civic Committee (2015-2017).
- First Vice President of the Pro-Santa Cruz Civic Committee (2017-2019).
- Director of the Chamber of Industry and Commerce of Santa Cruz (2009-2015).
- Affiliated with the Santa Cruz Bar Association from 2002.
- Family originally from Cochabamba.
- Family worked in the real estate and poultry business.
- Member of the Santa Cruz Youth Union, a radical right-wing organization.
- Member of the "fraternities", elitist carnival comparsas association.
Pro-Santa Cruz Civic Committee edit
https://eldeber.com.bo/santa-cruz/montenegro-es-elegido-presidente-moral-de-los-crucenos_77351
la-razon.com/lr-article/expediente-camacho-de-cerrar-con-militares-a-acordar-tumbar-a-morales-en-2019/
2020 presidential campaign edit
Governor of Santa Cruz edit
Election edit
Tenure edit
Arrest and prosecution edit
Apprehension edit
On the afternoon of 28 December 2022, Camacho was apprehended outside his home by Bolivian Police and transferred to the Viru Viru International Airport, to later be taken to La Paz. Recounting the incident to UNITEL, Graciela Ortiz, Camacho's personal assistant, stated that she and the governor had been driving home after a luncheon when their vehicle was intercepted by police vans. Without presenting a warrant, "they threw him to the ground; they yelled at him, another handcuffed him; they picked him up and took him away. I was afraid because we were scared they would kill us," Ortiz stated.[7][8] Speaking from secondhand, Natalia Ibáñez, Camacho's cousin, added that "they [the police] did not ask him to come out; they broke down [the car] windows [and] subdued two guards."[9] Video of Camacho's arrest distributed by local media outlets corroborated portions of this, showing the governor handcuffed on the side of the road with broken windows in his car.[10]
https://www.lostiempos.com/actualidad/pais/20230106/cronologia-interactiva-detencion-camacho
Reactions edit
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Following Camacho's arrest, the Prosecutor's Office issued a public communiqué stating that the governor had been detained as part of Coup D'état I, the case investigating perpetrators of the alleged coup d'état that ousted Morales from power in 2019. "This legal decision is not a kidnapping or political persecution," the authority assured.[12] Nonetheless, the move to detain a sitting governor was met with swift and heavy condemnation from members of the opposition. "This violent and illegal kidnapping of Governor [Luis Fernando] Camacho is outrageous. [It] violates constitutional and human rights principals," former president Carlos Mesa denounced. "What a way to pour hatred and revenge on the political situation of the country," lamented Iván Arias, mayor of La Paz.[13]
Protests and strikes edit
Within hours of Camacho's apprehension, mass unrest erupted in Santa Cruz, as protests swept through the region.[14] Initially sporadic and disorganized, the demonstrations gained steam at the impulse of the Pro-Santa Cruz Civic Committee, which called for a twenty-four-hour strike to be held on 30 December, a measure many saw as a precursor to an indefinite strike in the new year.[15]
Although sporadic protests continued into the new year, further calls for full-scale demonstrations by the Pro-Santa Cruz Civic Committee did not manifest. In an opinion column for Página Siete, analyst Quya Reyna noted that there was "little motivation [on the part of Santa Cruz elites] to generate big measures," with the twenty-four-hour strike being a "simple move to calm the anxieties of the .... population."[16] As noted by Thomas Graham in The Guardian, this "weak response" was likely the intended outcome in the government's decision-making. Having just come out of a thirty-six-day long protest over the census, "Santa Cruz [would] struggle to mount another indefinite civic strike so soon after the last. '[Cruceños] supported the last strike. But [they] can’t support another.'"[15]
Succession edit
Amid concerns regarding who would lead the department in Camacho's absence, Vice Governor Mario Aguilera declined to step up. "The governor is Luis Fernando Camacho; the only way for someone to replace the governor is for something to happen that is established in Article 26 of our statute; none of that has happened," he stated.[1] According to interior advisor Efraín Suárez, only a resignation, death, or—in Camacho's case—an enforceable criminal sentence could force the departmental government to replace him. Even if prosecutors did achieve a guilty verdict, "there is still the appeal, and the court of cassation, and then the constitutional amparo. The road is long."[17] This justification was partially rejected by members of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal, who argued that, though Camacho's situation did not disqualify him from being governor, it did constitute a "temporary absence or definitive impediment," which, per Article 25 of Santa Cruz's Autonomous Statute, means that the vice governor should assume office in an acting capacity.[18] In that vein, Minister of Justice Iván Lima stated that the national government was predisposed toward taking criminal action for breach of duties should the departmental government refuse to swear in Aguilera.[19] For his part, Suárez assured that it would be unnecessary for Aguilera to take office, as Camacho could simply continue exercising public functions from prison. "We [will] have a branch of the Governor's Office in Chonchocoro [prison]," he stated. In keeping with this promise, members of Camacho's cabinet made their first trip to La Paz on 4 January 2023, where they met with the governor to discuss policy matters.[20]
Incarceration edit
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Camacho's whereabouts remained unknown for hours following his arrest.[21] Finally, at around 6:15 p.m., he landed at El Alto International Airport, at which point he was quickly transferred to police headquarters in La Paz.[22] When presented to the Prosecutor's Office, the governor refrained from giving a statement on the case. Instead, he used his sworn declaration to deliver a public message, stating that he was "proud ... to have been part of the biggest fight in the history of Bolivia for freedom and democracy ... I always maintained my position that I could recount said feat in my [sworn] declaration."[23] A virtual hearing on Camacho's case began the following day, in which the Prosecutor's Office levied charges of terrorism against the governor and requested six months of preventative detention.[24] For its part, Camacho's defense filed an appeal requesting that the governor's arrest be annulled on the grounds that his rights were violated; however, the complaint was quickly declared "unfounded" and thrown out.[25] A separate appeal filed with a different court was also rejected the following day,[26] as was a third one heard in early 2023.[27]
Early on 30 December, Judge Sergio Pacheco of the Eighth Criminal Investigation Court of La Paz ruled that Camacho was "probably the author of the [alleged] crime of terrorism." For this, the judge imposed four months of preventative detention on the governor, to be carried out in Chonchocoro maximum security penitentiary.[21] Shortly into his incarceration, Camacho began suffering severe health decompensation, as the combined forces of chronic illness, stress, and La Paz's high altitude caused him to undergo muscle and nerve paralysis.[28][29] Despite requests from his family and lawyers, prison staff refused to transfer him to an outside hospital, all the while denying allegations that the governor had not been allowed access to internal medical care.[30] Although his health later slightly improved, Camacho assured that, should he die, any blame would lie on President Arce.[31]
Criminal process edit
Shortly after Camacho's apprehension, additional investigations into the governor's financial dealings during the 2019 crisis were opened by the government. According to Minister of Government Eduardo del Castillo, at least four "large financial movements" amounting to Bs 4.5 million took place between 5 November and 7 December 2019, consisting of Bs 2.1 million deposited into Camacho's personal account and Bs 2.4 million transferred into other people's accounts, including those of his family, aides, and—most notably—active military personnel.[32] In particular, two transfers of undisclosed amounts were deposited into the account of Jorge Terceros, the then-head of the Bolivian Air Force. For del Castillo, this payment was "part of the financing of the coup d'état," a point disputed by Terceros's lawyer, Eusebio Vera, who stated that the funds were used in the purchase of fuel as part of an effort to transfer members of the Legislative Assembly to La Paz, where it was hoped they could help put an end to the crisis.[33][34]
Following the presentation of this evidence, the government quickly moved to amplify its suit again Camacho and on 5 January 2023, the governor was hit with an additional two charges for the crimes of bribery and seduction of troops.[32]
Ideology and personal life edit
Electoral history edit
| Year | Office | Party | Alliance | Votes | Result | Ref. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | % | P. | ||||||||
| 2020 | President | Independent | Creemos | 862,184 | 14.00% | 3rd | Lost | [35] | ||
| 2021 | Governor | Creemos | None | 860,023 | 55.64% | 1st | Won | [36] | ||
| Source: Plurinational Electoral Organ | Electoral Atlas | ||||||||||
References edit
Notes edit
- ^ a b Camacho was arrested and detained by the national government on 28 December 2022. Santa Cruz's Autonomous Statute provides for the removal of a governor in the event of death, willful resignation, or an enforceable criminal sentence. As none of these cases apply in the current instance, the departmental government continues to recognize Camacho as the sitting governor.[1]
- ^ Although the more direct relation is said to be through José Camacho, a sergeant major from La Paz who later settled in Santa Cruz, Soria has posited that he and Eliodoro were one in the same, citing their identical calligraphic style and the former's disappearance from the historical record around the same time the latter gained prominence.[3]
Footnotes edit
- ^ a b "'El gobernador es Luis Fernando Camacho', aclara el vicegobernador de Santa Cruz". Página Siete (in Spanish). La Paz. 29 December 2022. Archived from the original on 29 December 2022. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
- ^ "Luis Fernando Camacho, el factótum de las acciones que acabaron con el gobierno de Evo". El Cronista (in Spanish). Buenos Aires. 10 November 2019. Archived from the original on 31 December 2019. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
- ^ a b Peralta, Pablo (9 October 2021). "¿Fernando Camacho tiene origen colla y un nexo con Eliodoro Camacho?". Página Siete (in Spanish). La Paz. Archived from the original on 3 January 2023. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
- ^ "¿Sabías que Luis Fernando Camacho es nieto de un héroe paceño?". Página Siete (in Spanish). La Paz. 7 November 2019. Archived from the original on 1 January 2020. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
- ^ "¿Quién es Luis Fernando Camacho, el poderoso opositor que dio un ultimátum a Evo Morales para que renuncie?". El Comercio (in Spanish). Lima. 5 November 2019. Archived from the original on 2 July 2022. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
- ^ "El Líder Cívico: Luis Fernando Camacho". comiteprosantacruz.org.bo (in Spanish). Santa Cruz de la Sierra: Comite Cívico pro Santa Cruz. 2019. Archived from the original on 23 August 2019. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
- ^ "'Lo tiraron al piso, lo enmanillaron y se lo llevaron', relata la asistente de Camacho". UNITEL (in Spanish). Santa Cruz de la Sierra. 28 December 2022. Archived from the original on 29 December 2022. Retrieved 28 December 2022.
- ^ Pérez Munguía, Juan (29 December 2022). "Aprehenden a Luis Fernando Camacho en un operativo violento y sin ser notificado". Página Siete (in Spanish). La Paz. Archived from the original on 29 December 2022. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
- ^ "Luis Fernando Camacho es aprehendido y será trasladado a La Paz". Página Siete (in Spanish). La Paz. 28 December 2022. Archived from the original on 28 December 2022. Retrieved 28 December 2022.
- ^ "Bolivian opposition leader Luis Fernando Camacho arrested on 'terrorism' charges". The Guardian. London. Reuters. 29 December 2022. Archived from the original on 29 December 2022. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
- ^ Rivera, Milenka (29 December 2022). Written at Cochabamba. "Familiares de las víctimas de Huayllani y Senkata piden cárcel para Camacho y justicia para sus muertos". La Razón (in Spanish). La Paz. Archived from the original on 30 December 2022. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
- ^ Imaña Serrano, Tanya (28 December 2022). "'No se trata de un secuestro o persecución política', dice la Fiscalía por la aprehensión de Camacho". El Deber (in Spanish). Santa Cruz de la Sierra. Archived from the original on 29 December 2022. Retrieved 28 December 2022.
- ^ Ibáñez, Erika (28 December 2022). "Políticos opositores critican la violencia usada para detener a Camacho y hablan de persecución". La Razón (in Spanish). La Paz. Archived from the original on 29 December 2022. Retrieved 28 December 2022.
- ^ Molina Rea, Lourdes (28 December 2022). "Vecinos salen a las calles y reactivan los bloqueos en rotondas y carreteras en rechazo a la aprehensión del gobernador". El Deber (in Spanish). Santa Cruz de la Sierra. Archived from the original on 29 December 2022. Retrieved 28 December 2022.
- ^ a b Graham, Thomas (30 December 2022). Written at Santa Cruz de la Sierra. "'People were enraged': Civil strike called in Bolivia after arrest of opposition leader". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 30 December 2022. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
- ^ Reyna, Quya (31 December 2022). "Camacho, el estorbo de Santa Cruz". Página Siete (in Spanish). La Paz. Archived from the original on 31 December 2022. Retrieved 31 December 2022.
- ^ "'El gobernador sigue siendo Camacho', zanja el asesor de gestión de la institución". El Deber (in Spanish). Santa Cruz de la Sierra. 30 December 2022. Archived from the original on 30 December 2022. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
- ^ "Vicegobernador de Santa Cruz debe asumir como interino ante ausencia de Camacho, según 2 vocales del TSE". Correo del Sur (in Spanish). Sucre. 6 January 2023. Archived from the original on 6 January 2023. Retrieved 6 January 2023.
- ^ Alanoca, Jesus (6 January 2023). "Gobierno advierte con acción penal si el vicegobernador no asume las funciones de Camacho". El Deber (in Spanish). Santa Cruz de la Sierra. Archived from the original on 6 January 2023. Retrieved 6 January 2023.
- ^ Alanoca, Jesus (6 January 2023). "Camacho ejercerá funciones desde la cárcel; sus secretarios llegaron a La Paz para reunirse con él". El Deber (in s). Santa Cruz de la Sierra. Archived from the original on 4 January 2023. Retrieved 6 January 2023.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link) - ^ a b "Juez ordena la detención preventiva de Luis Fernando Camacho en la cárcel de Chonchocoro". UNITEL (in Spanish). Santa Cruz de la Sierra. 30 December 2022. Archived from the original on 30 December 2022. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
- ^ "Camacho llega a La Paz y es trasladado a la FELCC". Los Tiempos (in Spanish). Cochabamba. 28 December 2022. Archived from the original on 29 December 2022. Retrieved 28 December 2022.
- ^ Ijurko, Juan Manuel (29 December 2022). "'Soy orgulloso de haber formado parte de la lucha más grande por la libertad y la democracia'". El Deber (in Spanish). Santa Cruz de la Sierra. Archived from the original on 29 December 2022. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
Quiero dejar en claro que soy orgulloso y llevo en alto haber formado parte de la lucha más grande de la historia de Bolivia por la libertad y la democracia ... Siempre mantuve mi posición que en mi declaración pueda contar dicha gesta.
- ^ Mealla, Luis (29 December 2022). "Empieza la audiencia contra Camacho, lo imputan por terrorismo y piden seis meses de detención". La Razón (in Spanish). La Paz. Archived from the original on 29 December 2022. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
- ^ "Juez rechaza acción de libertad de Camacho e instala audiencia cautelar". Página Siete (in Spanish). La Paz. 29 December 2022. Archived from the original on 30 December 2022. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
- ^ "Justicia rechaza otro recurso judicial a Camacho". Página Siete (in Spanish). La Paz. 30 December 2022. Archived from the original on 30 December 2022. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
- ^ "Justicia rechaza acción de libertad de Camacho; debe permanecer en Chonchocoro". Correo del Sur (in Spanish). Sucre. 5 January 2023. Archived from the original on 5 January 2023. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
- ^ Vásquez, Walter (31 December 2022). "Abogado dice que Camacho se descompensó y denuncian que el Gobierno le impide la asistencia médica". El Deber (in Spanish). Santa Cruz de la Sierra. Archived from the original on 3 January 2023. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
- ^ "Camacho sufre 'una parálisis en músculos y nervios'; allegados piden que sea trasladado a un centro médico". Página Siete (in Spanish). La Paz. 2 January 2023. Archived from the original on 2 January 2023. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
- ^ "Régimen Penitenciario descarta traslado de Camacho a centro médico y dice que 'no necesita tratamiento externo'". Los Tiempos (in Spanish). Cochabamba. Agencia de Noticias Fides. 1 January 2023. Archived from the original on 2 January 2023. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
- ^ Medina, Roberto (1 January 2023). "Camacho responsabiliza a Arce por lo que le pueda pasar en Chonchocoro". La Razón (in Spanish). La Paz. Archived from the original on 3 January 2023. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
- ^ a b Mealla, Luis (5 January 2023). "El Gobierno amplió la denuncia contra Camacho por los delitos de cohecho activo y seducción de tropas". La Razón (in Spanish). La Paz. Archived from the original on 6 January 2023. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
- ^ Atahuichi, Rubén (5 January 2023). "En 2019, Camacho 'depositó' dinero a favor del jefe de la FAB y recibió otras transferencias". La Razón (in Spanish). La Paz. Archived from the original on 6 January 2023. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
- ^ Mealla, Luis (5 January 2023). "Exjefe militar confirmó que se recibió dinero de Camacho, para trasladar asambleístas". La Razón (in Spanish). La Paz. Archived from the original on 6 January 2023. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
- ^ "Elecciones Generales 2020 | Atlas Electoral". atlaselectoral.oep.org.bo (in Spanish). La Paz: Plurinational Electoral Organ. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
- "Elecciones Generales 2020 (Exterior) | Atlas Electoral". atlaselectoral.oep.org.bo (in Spanish). La Paz: Plurinational Electoral Organ. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
- ^ "Elección de Gobernadores 2021 | Atlas Electoral". atlaselectoral.oep.org.bo (in Spanish). La Paz: Plurinational Electoral Organ. Archived from the original on 30 December 2022. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
Bibliography edit
External links edit
- Civic profile Pro-Santa Cruz Civic Committee (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 23 August 2019.
Category:1979 births Category:Living people Category:21st-century Bolivian businesspeople Category:21st-century Bolivian lawyers Category:21st-century Bolivian politicians Category:Bolivian educators Category:Bolivian Roman Catholics Category:Candidates in the 2020 Bolivian presidential election Category:Creemos politicians Category:Far-right politics in Bolivia Category:Governors of Santa Cruz Category:People from Santa Cruz de la Sierra Category:University of Barcelona alumni [[:Category:]]