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ACGAPA

|ARANDU OBSERVATORY| 

Source: Fides News

Environmental activist Eliana Torrico is being held in custody.

|Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia|

Type of violation:

  • Right to freedom of movement and residence: The house arrest measure limits Eliana Torrico's mobility, restricting her right to move freely without a conviction.

  • Right to due process and presumption of innocence: The imposition of severe precautionary measures without conclusive evidence reflects a disproportionate use of justice, which can be interpreted as criminalizing environmental defense work.

  • Right to freedom of expression and defense of the environmentThe legal process against an activist for her role in protecting urban trees involves harassment that violates the right to participate and express oneself in defense of common goods.

Eliana Torrico – Activist from Santa Cruz (Violated Human Rights Defender)

(April 17, 2025)

Elizabeth Martínez, lawyer for Eliana Torrico, an activist with the Árbol collective in Santa Cruz, reported today that the environmentalist was placed under house arrest by order of a judge, for the alleged crime of trespassing.

Martínez lamented that the judge handling the case considers the right to private property to be above the environment.