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Marco Antonio Aramayo, the former director of Bolivia's Fondo Indígena, has died in custody following seven years of detention under an abusive avalanche of investigations in a scandal he himself brought to light. la-razon.com/nacional/2022/04/19/tras-estar-7-anos-preso-muere-el-exdirector-del-fondo-indigena-marco-antonio-aramayo/Permalink On twitter.com
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The Fondo Indígena, which Aramayo headed from 2013 to 2015, was intended to provide independent funding to indigenous communities for development and self-representation.Permalink On twitter.com
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The Fondo Indígena fell under a cloud of suspicion with a February 2015 report by the Contraloría General del Estado about phantom projects and accounting irregularities in the fund. la-razon.com/lr-article/sentencian-con-5-anos-de-carcel-al-exdirector-del-exfondo-indigena-marco-antonio-aramayo/Permalink On twitter.com
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Aramayo denounced in 2016 that the Fund was instead used by Minister Nemesia Achacolla as a slush fund during an election year. eldeber.com.bo/pais/muere-marco-aramayo-principal-denunciante-del-millonario-desfalco-al-fondo-indigena_275061Permalink On twitter.com
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Throughout, the problems of self-dealing corruption and political corruption have overlapped with the more mundane problem that Indigenous communities and org's often lacked simple bank accounts to honestly meet reporting requirements.Permalink On twitter.com
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As a result, multiple government ministers, the Fund's officials, and many indigenous leaders became ensnared in a thicket of investigations.Permalink On twitter.com
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Because of the lack of prosecutorial independence in Bolivia, this led to both the reality and appearance of political vindictiveness in selective prosecution.Permalink On twitter.com
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While many have been accused, Aramayo has borne the highest weight of prosecutions (over 200 investigations begun); he was convicted and sentences to 5 years in 2017. la-razon.com/lr-article/sentencian-con-5-anos-de-carcel-al-exdirector-del-exfondo-indigena-marco-antonio-aramayo/Permalink On twitter.com
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ITEI, a Bolivian organization that supports victims of torture and state violence, issued a stament: Aramayo's "death is the tragic conclusion of a series of violations of [his] fundamental rights," "which affect [him] and also affect people deprived of liberty in general."Permalink On twitter.com
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Per ITEI, which has provided medical and psychological attention to Aramayo since 2017, he was: 1. presumed guilty — "The judicial apparatus … omitted the right to the presumption of innocence"Permalink On twitter.com
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2. The judicial apparatus [was] … ostentatiously and pridefully demonstrating all the aspects of inefficient and corrupt justice."On twitter.com
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"They never even began a due investigation due to the numerous irregularities in the Indigenous Fund Case, blaming Aramayo even for crimes committed before he was president and after he left (per his testimony)."Permalink On twitter.com
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3. "He was subjected to 256 processes for a single crime", filing new charges as recently as two weeks ago.Permalink On twitter.com
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4. "He was … made to travel to jails across the entire country, holding him in humiliating and degrading conditions. He was forced to travel to hearings even while sick with COVID."Permalink On twitter.com
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5. Police and penal authorities tortured him: physically with beatings and stress positions; biologically by depriving him of food, water, or medicine; psychologically with threats, extortion, insults, and humiliation.Permalink On twitter.com
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Full statement here: itei.org.bo/post/pronunciamiento-fallecimiento-del-se%C3%B1or-marco-antonio-aramayo PDF: download-files.wixmp.com/ugd/e11d28_ccdb7130de7248d9a91ca9f42f033f1e.pdf?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJpc3MiOiJ1cm46YXBwOmU2NjYzMGU3MTRmMDQ5MGFhZWExZjE0OWIzYjY5ZTMyIiwic3ViIjoidXJuOmFwcDplNjY2MzBlNzE0ZjA0OTBhYWVhMWYxNDliM2I2OWUzMiIsImF1ZCI6WyJ1cm46c2VydmljZTpmaWxlLmRvd25sb2FkIl0sImlhdCI6MTY1MDYzNzcyOSwiZXhwIjoxNjUwNjczNzM5LCJqdGkiOiI4YWFlY2ZjYTYwOTciLCJvYmoiOltbeyJwYXRoIjoiL3VnZC9lMTFkMjhfY2NkYjcxMzBkZTcyNDhkOWE5MWNhOWY0MmYwMzNmMWUucGRmIn1dXSwiYXR0YWNobWVudCI6eyJmaWxlbmFtZSI6IlBST05VTkNJQU1JRU5UTyBDQVNPIEFSQU1BWU8ucGRmIn19.ApWJILMIUzi-zBiK9wMnHE_F4SyQ36E0hXWaUOt-VlYPermalink On twitter.com
