Bolivia's former president, Luis Arce, was reportedly detained and transported to the FELCC (Special Force to Fight Crime) police headquarters in La Paz on Wednesday amid renewed investigations into alleged corruption linked to the Indigenous Fund.
María Nela Prada Tejada, who served as a minister during Arce's presidency, posted a video on social media saying she had been told by "unofficial sources" that police had "illegally kidnapped" the former president. The national police have not issued an official statement on the alleged detention.
Vice‑President Edmand Lara, however, published a video praising a specialist police unit "for having apprehended Luis Arce, in compliance with a resolution issued by a prosecutorial authority." Lara — a former police officer who gained prominence on social media for alleging corruption — added:
"We said that Luis Arce would be the first to go to prison, and we are delivering. Everyone who has stolen from this country will return every last cent and be held to account."
State broadcaster Bolivia TV reported that Arce was "giving a statement before" police while staff from the office of the ombudsman accompanied him. The broadcaster said the FELCC's department that investigates illicit gains was involved in the case.
Outside the FELCC compound in La Paz's Sopocachi neighbourhood, Prada Tejada told journalists she was trying to enter the building to obtain further information. She said Arce had been "alone" when he was allegedly placed into a minibus with blacked‑out windows and taken to the police headquarters and that she had received no official notification of the arrest.
Prada Tejada said her "unofficial sources" indicated the detention was connected to the so‑called Indigenous Fund case — a government programme that channelled part of hydrocarbon tax revenues into development projects for Indigenous communities. The fund was shuttered in 2015 after a corruption scandal alleging misappropriation of resources.
Investigations were revived after centre‑right President Rodrigo Paz Pereira took office last November. Paz Pereira established at least 10 commissions to audit and investigate administrations of the leftist Movimiento al Socialismo (MAS), including a panel focused specifically on the Indigenous Fund.
Last Friday the FELCC also arrested former MAS deputy Lidia Patty, who is accused of receiving funds into a personal account for projects that were never implemented. Local media reported that in the request for Arce's detention, public prosecutor Miguel Ángel Cardozo alleged that while Arce served as economy minister he had "violated existing regulations by authorising the transfer of public funds into personal accounts."
Arce served as president until last November, when he handed power to Rodrigo Paz Pereira after an election that ended nearly 20 years of MAS dominance. During the earlier MAS administrations — when Arce served as finance minister under Evo Morales — Bolivia experienced strong growth driven by a natural gas boom that helped reduce poverty in many Indigenous and rural communities.
Authorities and media caution that details remain subject to official confirmation. The case is ongoing and developments may emerge as prosecutors and police release formal statements.
