Judicial shift in Bolivia: Jeanine Áñez has conviction overturned, is set to be released

The Bolivian Supreme Court annulled the 10-year prison sentence Wednesday for former President Jeanine Áñez, accused of taking power illegally after the 2019 political crisis, and ordered her immediate release, after determining there were due process violations.

"The annulment of her 10-year sentence has been ordered," informed Supreme Court President Romer Saucedo, who specified that Áñez will have to be submitted to a trial of responsibilities, a procedure reserved for former presidents and which requires the authorization of Congress, as reported by AFP.

Saucedo explained that the decision was based on the finding of "violations to the current legal order and to [Áñez's] rights," the agency said.

Áñez, 58 years old, had been held since 2021 in a prison in La Paz, after being convicted in 2022 for the crimes of breach of duties and resolutions contrary to the Constitution, in the case known as "Golpe II" ("Coup II" in English).

So far, the former president has not made an official statement, although on Tuesday she wrote on X: "I will never regret having served my country when it needed me," as part of an extensive message.

The Supreme Court's decision must be communicated to a judge in La Paz to formally process her release from prison.

Political and judicial context

Jeanine Áñez assumed the Bolivian presidency in November 2019 following the escape of Evo Morales amid protests and allegations of electoral fraud. Her rise to power was backed by the military and the opposition, while the ruling party called it a "coup."

During her brief term, police clashes with Morales' supporters left 36 people dead, according to the Ombudsman's Office.

The Bolivian government had filed another lawsuit against her for those deaths, which occurred in Senkata and Sacaba, although the justice system rejected it, arguing that it should also be followed through a trial of responsibilities.