Santa Cruz, Bolivia — Right-wing opposition leader Luis Fernando Camacho has been released from prison after almost three years in pretrial detention, in a move that could reshape Bolivia’s political future ahead of the October presidential run-off election.
Camacho, 46, walked free on Friday, August 29, 2025, from a maximum-security prison near La Paz and returned to his home province of Santa Cruz, where he was welcomed by thousands of cheering supporters waving green and white flags. Crowds escorted him to the main square, where the governor’s office is located.
Speaking to his supporters, Camacho said:
“It has been an honour to be imprisoned for almost three years, for the struggle of my people and for democracy.”
Camacho was arrested in December 2022 on charges of terrorism and fomenting a coup during the political crisis that followed Evo Morales’s disputed 2019 re-election. Morales, the country’s first Indigenous president, resigned after losing military support amid widespread protests and strikes.
The charges sparked major protests across Bolivia, with many calling the allegations politically motivated. His imprisonment turned him into a symbol of resistance for the right-wing movement.
Camacho’s freedom came after Bolivia’s Supreme Court ordered a review of all pretrial detentions involving prominent opposition figures, ruling that prolonged detentions without trial violated due process.
Although Camacho is now under house arrest while investigations continue, his lawyers confirmed that he can still carry out political duties as governor of Santa Cruz.
Camacho’s release gives a significant boost to the political right, which is hoping to regain power for the first time in nearly two decades. The upcoming October presidential run-off will see a centrist pro-business senator face off against a right-wing former president.
Meanwhile, Bolivia’s highest court also threw out criminal charges against former interim President Jeanine Áñez, who was jailed for more than four years over her role in the same 2019 crisis. The court ordered a new trial process, marking another legal win for the opposition.
With two major opposition figures freed just weeks before the election, analysts believe Bolivia is heading toward its most polarized and competitive vote in years. Critics say these sudden judicial decisions raise questions about political influence over the justice system.
For now, Camacho is celebrating what he calls a “victory for democracy”, while his opponents warn that the ghost of 2019 still haunts Bolivia.
