October 22, 2021 · Bolivia
There Is a Reward of 80,000 Soles ($24,000) for Information Leading to Arturo Cárdenas Tovar, Who Some Believe Is in Bolivia
By GHRL · Source: Facebook
Five of Peru's most wanted fugitives, including a friend of Evo Morales
#GHRL Judge Jorge Chávez Tamariz ordered 36 months of pretrial detention for five members of an alleged criminal organization, "Los Dinámicos del Centro." All five are fugitives from justice; it is believed that one of them, Arturo William Cárdenas Tovar—national organization secretary of the Perú Libre party and a trusted associate of Vladimir Cerrón—may be under Evo Morales's protection in Bolivia. Cárdenas is believed to be the organization's second-in-command.
The Seventh Court has issued an international arrest warrant for the five suspects, who have been fugitives for two weeks; a police document indicates that some of them may already be outside Peru.
Now, why is it presumed that Arturo Cárdenas may have been involved in the recent conflicts among coca growers in Los Yungas, Bolivia? From Peru, this is a theory that authorities have been unable to disprove, and they maintain that Cárdenas has not requested political asylum in Bolivia—though some party leaders' friendship with former president Evo Morales, who still holds power in his country, raises questions.
As a human rights organization, Global Human Rights League is investigating this case. If some accounts from Los Yungas claiming knowledge of Cárdenas's involvement in the unfortunate conflicts between coca growers and MAS supporters are confirmed, we will issue a public international denunciation. Citizens aligned with the radical line of Luis Arce and Evo Morales, in their attempt to seize control of the Coca Growers' Association (ADEPCOCA), have violated the fundamental rights of peasants and indigenous people in the area. At this very moment, Afro-Bolivian leader Tomasa Medina Flores fears returning to her community out of concern for her physical safety.
This would not be the first time the MAS dictatorship has protected fugitives from Peruvian justice; previously it was Walter Chávez, who enjoyed protection while an extradition order was pending against him. As an organization, we demand that Bolivia's autocratic government answer to the public and, out of respect for the laws of the neighboring country, clarify whether Arturo Cárdenas is in Bolivia and under its protection. It would be deeply troubling if this individual's presence in our territory were confirmed, adding him to the ranks of those who attack the freedoms of Bolivians.
GHRL – October 22, 2021