Former Bolivian president sentenced to 10 years in prison
By CARLOS VALDEZ
Associated Press
LA PAZ, Bolivia (AP) — Former Bolivian interim President Jeanine Áñez has been sentenced to 10 years in prison on charges linked to her assumption of office in 2019 amid violent protests that led to the resignation and exile of her predecessor, Evo Morales. Áñez was convicted by the court of dereliction of duty and acting against the constitution when she proclaimed herself president in what Morales and his party have called a coup. Áñez’s supporters deny it was a coup, saying Morales’ alleged abuse of power triggered a legitimate uprising in the streets. The ouster of Bolivia’s first Indigenous president created a power vacuum that allowed Áñez to assume the interim presidency as second president of the Senate.
