Del Castillo is a partner of the overwhelming ones: Owner of invaded property accused him

Melissa Barba, owner of the overrun Santa Rita property, expressed her outrage at Eduardo Del Castillo's attitude when she confronted him at a market in Santa Cruz. This occurred during a campaign event for the MAS candidate.

The woman showed him photos where he appears alongside leaders of a land takeover. This concerns the Santa Rita property, located in Guarayos. That land was illegally seized by armed criminals a few days ago.

Barba approached the former minister with the printed images in her hand. In one of them, Del Castillo appears embracing people who have arrest warrants. "Why are you in a photo embracing the land invaders?" she asked him directly.

According to her testimony, Del Castillo only laughed. "I feel a lot of anger because he mocked me to my face," the complainant said.

The encounter was brief but revealing. The owner of the property asserts that the politician's reaction was mocking. "He is embracing the ringleaders, that means he identifies with them," Barba stated.

She believes that MAS covers up and protects this type of criminal. She also accuses Del Castillo of including the illegal occupiers in his list of candidates.

Invader candidate

One of them is Esteban Alavi Canaviri. He is listed as a senatorial candidate for MAS. He has also been identified as one of the instigators of the land takeover in Santa Rita.

The wife of Filipe Barbieri, co-owner of the property, also accuses him. The family's lawyer described him as the mastermind behind the incident.

According to Álvaro La Torre, legal defender of the victims, Alavi acted with political backing. He stated that the now candidate justified the illegal land seizure.

He also requested that the land be handed over to intercultural groups "no matter what". For this reason, he believes he is complicit in the incident. He demands that his degree of involvement be established.

Del Castillo tried to justify himself when confronted. He said he did not know Alavi or those who appear in the image. He assured that anyone can take a photo with him.

He also indicated that he is not responsible for MAS's candidacies. "That doesn't mean I have anything to do with you," he replied.

The criminals act with the complicity of the authorities

The police have intervened at the scene. A contingent was mobilized to regain control of the property. They also announced that they will investigate the takeover.

Agricultural organizations in the east expressed their alarm. They consider the situation unsustainable.

The Minister of Government, Roberto Ríos, provided more details. He confirmed that two people who appear in the photos have arrest warrants.

The warrants are not for the Santa Rita case, but for previous crimes. Despite this, the accused remain free. According to Barba, they even walk around the town without restrictions.

MAS has reacted in a divided manner to the accusations. Deputy Rolando Cuéllar called for the arrest of Esteban Alavi. He called him "the cancer of Santa Cruz" because of his actions.

He also clarified that MAS will not protect criminals. If the accusations reach Del Castillo, they must be investigated, he said.

Meanwhile, there were also criticisms from the opposition. Deputy Walthy Eguez accused the Public Prosecutor's Office of covering up. He pointed out that no action is taken against those responsible.

Eguez also believes there is impunity because there is political protection. He demands that prosecutors enforce the law.

Masismo denied that the invaders are criminals

MAS's national leader, Grover García, denied the links. He said everything is part of an electoral attack. He claimed that they want to involve their candidates for political reasons.

García called for an investigation but ruled out Del Castillo's involvement. He also denied that his party covers up land invaders.

However, the accusations are piling up. Barba insists that MAS protects the criminals. She asserts that Alavi acted with total impunity.

She also added that she believes there is support from the highest levels of government. "This comes from the top," she denounced with frustration.

The victims are demanding that court orders be enforced. They will not accept more excuses from the authorities. They demand that the accused be detained immediately.

They hope the case doesn't go unpunished. They also fear new takeovers if there are no punishments.

Outrage has spread throughout Santa Cruz. Many producers fear losing their land.

Barba announced that she will not remain silent. She will continue to speak out until justice is served. She asserts that she is not afraid of political power.