Bolivia's Luis Camacho freed after 3 years, resumes Santa Cruz role
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Camacho’s release after years in pre-trial detention in Bolivia reignites controversy over his role in the 2019 power grab and ongoing investigations into alleged corruption.
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Opposition leader Luis Fernando Camacho, the suspended governor of Santa Cruz, wears a sash and flag of his department as he is released from jail and allowed house arrest, in La Paz, Bolivia, Friday, August 29, 2025. (AP)
Bolivian opposition figure Luis Fernando Camacho regained control of the eastern department of Santa Cruz on Friday, just hours after his release from prison, where he had spent nearly three years facing serious charges linked to his role in Bolivia’s 2019 political crisis, AFP reported.
Camacho, 46, a conservative lawyer and businessman, was arrested in December 2022 over his alleged orchestration of events that led to the forced resignation of then-President Evo Morales, Bolivia’s first Indigenous head of state.
Morales stepped down after losing military backing amid a wave of protests and strikes, following his bid for a fourth term. Camacho was widely seen as a key player in the destabilization campaign, which many critics have characterized as a coup against Bolivia’s democratic order.
His detention sparked protests largely driven by the right-wing opposition, though many Bolivians and legal experts described the charges as legitimate and necessary for accountability over the 2019 power vacuum and ensuing violence.
“It has been an honor to be imprisoned for almost three years, for the struggle of my people and for democracy,” Camacho told supporters in Santa Cruz. However, for many, his rhetoric continues to mask a controversial political legacy marred by division and allegations of authoritarian tactics.
Wider context
His imprisonment became a rallying point for Bolivia’s right-wing opposition, which now aims to reclaim the presidency in an October runoff after two decades out of power.
Camacho secured release after a court ruled that his pre-trial detention had exceeded the legal two-year limit. He will remain under house arrest as investigations continue, though his legal team maintains this will not hinder his political work.
Aside from the ongoing coup-related investigation led by the outgoing socialist government, Camacho faces three additional cases: one for leading a strike, another for alleged irregularities in public procurement, and a third over staffing practices in the governor’s office.
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