Videos: Protests Break Out in Bolivia as Police Arrest Governor Camacho Over Role in 2019 Coup

BUENOS AIRES (Sputnik) - Luis Fernando Camacho, the governor of the Bolivian department of Santa Cruz and a suspected participant in the 2019 coup against former President Evo Morales, has been arrested in a coup d'état case, the country's prosecutor's office said on Wednesday.

Bolivian Interior Minister Carlos Eduardo Del Castillo Del Carpio said earlier in the day that the Bolivian police executed an arrest warrant against Camacho without specifying the reasons for the arrest and adding that additional information would be provided later.

"Camacho was arrested on a warrant issued by the prosecutor's office as part of a coup d'état case," the office said in a statement.

The office added that Camacho's arrest was not a "political persecution" as he was aware of the investigation, launched in 2020. Video of the arrest had also shown a handcuffed Camacho sitting on the side of the road.

First image of Luis Fernando Camacho in custody.

Bolivia's Interior Minister reports that Camacho's health is stable according to a medical evaluation, disproving allegations of injures. pic.twitter.com/DqEUqzddvT

— Kawsachun News (@KawsachunNews) December 28, 2022

Not long after news broke of Camacho's arrest, widespread protests broke out across the nation, with a group of demonstrators going so far as storming the Viru Viru International Airport.

Video footage of the protests showed Camacho backers violently clashing with police and military authorities. Demonstrations grew so intense that the airport imposed a temporary halt to operations.

Groups linked to Fernando Camacho violently entered the Viru Viru airport and stormed the tarmac in Santa Cruz this afternoon. For the past two years, they've tried to ally with police and military with eyes on a new coup. Now they're attacking security forces. pic.twitter.com/OQDe9RLikZ

— Camila (@camilapress) December 28, 2022

Fascist groups in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, are assaulting police and airport staff to protest against the arrest of their leader Fernando Camacho. pic.twitter.com/k6XSMjlzCu

— Kawsachun News (@KawsachunNews) December 28, 2022

A Sputnik correspondent reported that employees of security zones, checking passengers before boarding, abandoned their workplaces as travelers attempted to figure out what to do with their flights.

Elsewhere, protesters took to the streets as some set fire at the prosecutor's office in Santa Cruz.

🔴AHORA Protestas con cierre de vías en Santa Cruz tras la detención del gobernador opositor Luis Fernando Camacho por agentes del régimen izquierdista del MAS en Bolivia pic.twitter.com/8QIcF99m3N

— @Radiominuto790 (@Fredyandradea) December 28, 2022

The Santa Cruz department has repeatedly staged protests against various government decisions. Some politicians also consider Camacho a key figure in the coup against Evo Morales in 2019.

Camacho ran for president in 2020 but lost to the elected head of state, Luis Arce, receiving 14% of the votes.