Bolivia Identifies 7 Suspects Related to Sacaba Massacre

By teleSUR

09 January 21

Over 30 people died due to police brutality after the U.S.-backed coup against Evo Morales in Nov. 2019.

olivia's Interior Ministry Thursday identified seven alleged perpetrators of the Sacaba massacre that took place in Cochabamba city in 2019.

The suspects must testify before the Public Prosecutor's Office of La Paz for the violent acts that followed the coup against former President Evo Morales.

"We identified the suspects after interviews with the military, police, and civilians involved," prosecutor Nuria Gonzales said and informed that an investigation is underway to determine the defendants' degree of responsibility.

Until Thursday, Cochabamba's former military chief Alfredo Cuellar was the only officer being investigated for the violent incidents in which the military and police fired on anti-coup demonstrators.

Cuellar, who is under house arrest, denied responsibility for the massacre. Former Cochabamba Police Commander Jaime Zurita is also one of seven police officers to be investigated for charges of homicide.

During the investigative process, the Attorney General's Office will interview Morales and former Vice President Alvaro Garcia as victims.

After the coup d'état, Morales and the Movement Towards Socialism (MAS) supporters marched in various parts of the country demanding the return of democracy. In Sacaba and Senkata, over 30 people died due to police brutality.