Bolivian Court Orders Ex‑President Luis Arce Held Five Months Pending Corruption Trial

A Bolivian court on Friday ordered former President Luis Arce to remain in pretrial detention for five months as he awaits trial on allegations of corruption that could deepen political tensions across the country.

Arce, 62, a prominent leader of the Movement Toward Socialism (MAS) party who was elected president in 2020, left office about a month ago after the election of a right‑wing government. He has denied wrongdoing and faces charges of breach of duty and financial misconduct that carry up to six years in prison if he is convicted.

Former President Luis Arce comments to the press as he is escorted to San Pedro Prison after his arrest as part of a corruption investigation in La Paz, Bolivia, Friday, Dec. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Juan Karita)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)

The detention order followed Arce’s sudden arrest on the streets of La Paz two days earlier. In a virtual hearing on Friday, Judge Elmer Laura rejected a defense request for conditional release and ordered five months of pretrial detention in a state prison; prosecutors had sought three months in a juvenile detention facility.

Authorities transferred Arce at night to one of La Paz’s largest prisons. Officials did not announce a trial date.

Police officers escort former President Luis Arce to San Pedro Prison after his arrest as part of a corruption investigation in La Paz, Bolivia, Friday, Dec. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Juan Karita)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Allegations and Political Context

Prosecutors allege that millions of dollars were diverted from a state rural development fund into private accounts during the period when Arce served as economy minister under former President Evo Morales (2006–2017). Investigations into the alleged scheme first surfaced in 2017 but reportedly stalled while Morales remained in power, when critics say the courts were deferential to the ruling party.

The case was reopened last month after conservative President Rodrigo Paz took office, ending nearly two decades of MAS dominance. Paz campaigned on promises to clean up the government and pursue corruption cases amid public anger over an economic crisis described by his supporters as the country’s worst in decades.

Police officers escort former President Luis Arce to San Pedro Prison after his arrest as part of a corruption investigation in La Paz, Bolivia, Friday, Dec. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Juan Karita)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Defence Response

Arce has consistently denounced the proceedings as politically motivated. “I’m a scapegoat,” he told the judge, asserting he had no personal involvement with the government fund under scrutiny — a fund intended to support Indigenous communities and peasant farmers who form the core of MAS’s base.

His lawyers argued for release on health and humanitarian grounds, noting Arce’s prior battle with kidney cancer. Judge Laura dismissed those arguments and emphasized the alleged crimes directly affected state resources allocated to vulnerable sectors.

Judge Elmer Laura: "These are crimes that directly affect state assets and resources that were allocated to vulnerable sectors."

Officials involved in earlier phases of the probe say the alleged scheme involved channeling funds from rural development projects into private accounts to secure political loyalty among MAS‑aligned union and Indigenous leaders during election campaigns.

No trial date has been set. Isabel DeBre in Santiago, Chile, contributed to this report.