Bolivian law enforcement officials have arrested former President Luis Arce as part of a corruption investigation, in a polarizing move just a month after the inauguration of conservative President Rodrigo Paz ended 20 years of socialist rule.
A senior official in Paz’s government, Marco Antonio Oviedo, said on Wednesday that Arce had been arrested on charges of breach of duty and financial misconduct related to the alleged embezzlement of public funds during his stint as economy minister in the government of charismatic former leader Evo Morales (2006-2019).
A special police force dedicated to fighting corruption confirmed to The Associated Press news agency that Arce was in custody at the unit’s headquarters in Bolivia’s capital of La Paz.
While officials described Arce’s arrest as proof of the new government’s commitment to fighting corruption at the highest levels in fulfilment of its flagship campaign promise, Arce’s allies say his arrest is unjustified and smacks of political persecution.
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Bolivia Arrests Ex-President Luis Arce in Corruption Investigation
12/11/2025
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