The strike organized by the Bolivian opposition ends with violence and destruction in the city of Santa Cruz

MADRID, 31 Dic. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The 24-hour strike called by the Pro Santa Cruz Civic Committee in rejection of the arrest of Governor Luis Fernando Camacho has resulted in violence by members of the Cruceñista Youth Union (UJC), with destruction and burning of public buildings and vehicles.

For more than seven hours, shock groups from the UJC have tried to take over the Departmental Command of the Santa Cruz Police. Armed with sticks, stones and firecrackers, they have attacked the police officers without achieving their objective, according to the ABI agency.

The protesters would have set up barricades with tires and would have thrown metal objects and stones, injuring some police officers.

Previously, there had been records of the seizure and attack of at least ten state buildings, even taking an official from the National Tax Service (SIN) as hostage, who was released hours later with obvious signs of violence in his body, according to the aforementioned agency.

Meanwhile, the Bolivian Ombudsman, Pedro Callisaya, has defended the end of the confrontations in the city of Santa Cruz, calling for peaceful coexistence among Bolivians.

"The violent events that have occurred in recent days in the city of Santa Cruz create a scenario of violation of Human Rights. It is necessary that tolerance and peaceful coexistence among Bolivians prevail," Callisaya said in a message on the social network Twitter.

Luis Fernando Camacho is one of the main opposition figures to the Bolivian president, Luis Arce, as well as the governor of Santa Cruz, the richest region in the country and historically opposed to the governments of the Movement for Socialism (MAS), the scene in which last month of new protests and blockades, this time to oppose the government's census law.

His arrest is motivated by his role in the violent demonstrations and protests that took place after the opposition, supported by the Armed Forces, pressured Morales to renounce his victory in the October 2019 elections, the results of which were also questioned by the Organization of American States (OAS).

After his arrest, there have been protests in Santa Cruz, even leading to blockades on highways and airports. Likewise, other representatives of the opposition have demanded his release, warning the government at the same time that they are not going to "give up" and that they will continue fighting "until the last consequences."