AMERICA/BOLIVIA - The Bishops: "It is time to stop wasting time in the instrumentalization of justice"

Friday, 18 February 2022 justice   episcopal conferences   corruption  

La Paz (Agenzia Fides) - "We ask that the reform process be started, once and for all, with the participation and consensus of all the institutions and active forces of the country", since "it is urgent to have an adequate and impartial judicial system, that restores confidence and hope to so many people who are victims of the delay and manipulation of justice". These are the precise requests of the Permanent Council of the Bolivian Episcopal Conference (CEB), expressed in a press release dated February 17, which was presented by Msgr. Giovani Arana, General Secretary of the CEB, accompanied by Father Diego Plá, Deputy Secretary General and Susana Inch, Legal Advisor of the CEB. The text, sent to Fides, is entitled "Justice for Bolivia" and opens by quoting the evangelical text of the corrupt judge who refused to do justice to a poor widow (Lk 18: 1-8).
"This parable significantly reflects the current situation of the judicial system in our country, which is experiencing a serious deterioration - comment the Bishops -. This fact has led to the loss of all credibility among the population and has raised increasing demands for a profound and radical reform, which guarantees an administration of justice that is fair, transparent and free of all political and social pressure". The Bishops cite two examples: the scandal raised by the release, for economic interests, of several perpetrators of femicides sentenced to the maximum penalty of thirty years, and the trial against the authorities of the transitional constitutional government, led between serious legal deficiencies and violation of the most basic human rights. "What the Bolivian people want is for the Administration of Justice to act in strict compliance with the laws, with transparency, autonomy and in total respect for the truth".
Concerned that "the promises of justice reform will be forgotten", the bishops therefore ask "that the reform process be started, once and for all, with the participation and consensus of all the Institutions and living forces of the Country" , to restore confidence and hope to so many victims of the delay and manipulation of justice and to avoid "major acts of violence and confrontation" in the country, so that "we can all live in peace, harmony, serenity and sacred respect of life, people and human rights do not expire under any circumstances".
The bishops' message concludes by reiterating that "it is time to stop wasting time in the instrumentalization of justice" and recalling that in the parable cited at the beginning, "Jesus teaches us that, thanks to the widow's perseverance, the unjust judge decided to do her justice". (SL) (Agenzia Fides, 18/2/2022)


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