Ruth Nina was arrested after stating: Evo Morales lost a lieutenant

The activist Ruth Nina was  apprehended after giving her statement at the Cochabamba Prosecutor's Office. The leader of the now-defunct PAN-BOL was summoned for having issued a warning about the elections on August 17.

According to the Public Prosecutor's Office, her words may have constituted threats against the electoral process. Nina arrived to testify with a blanket and a backpack because she anticipated her arrest. She said that if she was apprehended for expressing her opinion, she wanted it to be a historic event.

After almost two hours of testimony, the Prosecutor's Office ordered her apprehension. One of her lawyers denounced a "total abuse of authority" and a political act. The defense stated that her remarks were controversial, but do not constitute a crime.

The apprehension was carried out in the prosecutor's facilities and then she was transferred to the FELCC. The case has caused repercussions among political and social actors.

Nina is under investigation for public incitement to commit a crime, threats, and electoral obstruction. The accusation is based on what she said during a meeting of the Evo Pueblo group in Lauca Ñ. There, she warned that instead of counting votes, they would be counting deaths on election day.

Those statements caused rejection in several sectors that called for her arrest. Despite that, she reaffirmed her message and defended her freedom of expression.

Her lawyer, Manuel Mariscal, insisted that the accusations are disproportionate. He said that the Prosecutor's Office used social media screenshots and press headlines as "evidence." He considered that the case responds to political interests of pro-government groups.

He later reiterated that what Nina said can't be considered a crime in a democratic state. He blamed other actors for distorting her message to attack her.

Ríos urged Morales to appear

From the government, Minister Roberto Ríos valued Nina's attitude. He said that appearing to testify demonstrates responsibility before the law. Ríos stated that this should be an example for Evo Morales himself.

He also added that these threats must be sanctioned to prevent conflicts. According to him, setting precedents will prevent new attacks on the electoral process.

Nina appeared voluntarily and did not flee despite knowing she could be detained. During her intervention at the Prosecutor's Office, she reiterated that she doesn't trust the justice system. She denounced abuses and said that her detention was political and not legal.

In her statement, she reaffirmed her intention to prevent the elections from taking place if her leader Evo Morales is not allowed to run. She claimed that she was criminalized for saying what she thinks.

Morales regretted the news

Evo Morales reacted harshly after learning of his ally's apprehension. He said that Nina was first stripped of her party and now her freedom. He criticized the justice system for not punishing those responsible for deaths in past demonstrations.

He also denounced that the powerful are protected and those who think differently are persecuted. He called for not accepting a justice system used as a repressive arm.

Morales also questioned the ruling that banned PAN-BOL. He accused the Electoral Tribunal of acting under government pressure.

According to him, the cancellation of the party sought to prevent his candidacy from advancing. He considers that Nina's detention follows the same repressive pattern. He pointed out that the aim is to intimidate his allies and sow fear.

One of the dictator's allies fell

Ruth Nina had tried to nominate Morales after he was exiled from MAS. She did so through PAN-BOL, but the party was eliminated for not reaching 3%. Her closeness to Evo caused internal tensions in her organization.

Despite that, she continued to support the former dictator in public events. The statements that led to her apprehension occurred in that context.

Nina has become a controversial figure since her rapprochement with Morales. Before that, she was a harsh critic of masismo and caudillismo.

Her political shift puzzled her former allies and caused distrust. Even so, she remained active in events linked to radical evismo. Her arrest may mark the end of that political stage.

The Prosecutor's Office has not yet confirmed whether it will request her preventive detention. Meanwhile, the precautionary hearing is expected to take place in the coming hours.

Nina's lawyer announced that he will request her unconditional release. He stated that the accusation lacks grounds and responds to political interests. On social media, evista sectors are demanding the release of the person accused of terrorism.