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Octubre 17, 2004
Goni´s Trial
No one seems to know exactly what is going on with the process for former President Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada´s trial of responsibilities. Some want to pronounce him guilty before any sort of investigation takes place, and some are threatening to mobilize in Sucre, the site of the trial, if the trial does not take place soon. They argue that it has been a year since the events last October took place and only now this trial has been approved.
Those already finding him guilty claim that since he is the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces, then he is responsible for their actions and must have gave orders to kill relatively innocent people. (I use the word relatively, because I do not know with authority whether the protesters were armed, even though there were calls by some campesino leaders that El Alto would rise up in an armed insurrection). Yet, if this argument would be binding, shouldn`t George W. Bush be responsible for the abuses at Abu Gharib?
Another argument used by those already pre-judging Goni cites a decree passed on October 11, 2003 authorizing the indemnization of any deaths that might occur.
I am all for a trial for Goni, Carlos Sanchez Berzain and anyone else who may have been involved. Although I am skeptical a fair and impartial trial could ever take place inside the tense political environment of Bolivia. Some radical leaders have vowed to lynch Goni, when he arrives in the country, citing "communal justice". With words like that, how can we expect for justice to run its course?
Posted by eduardo at Octubre 17, 2004 10:59 PM