Evo Morales wants senator back, Brazil turns over to refugee committee

Criado em 28/08/13 18h36 e atualizado em 02/09/13 14h50
Por Danilo Macedo and Renata Giraldi Edição:s Fonte:Agência Brasil

Brasília – On a Wednesday (August 28) press conference at the Palace of Government, in La Paz, Bolivia’s president Evo Morales called on Brazil to explain the escape of senator Roger Pinto Molina, who had been sheltered in the Brazilian Embassy, and to send him back to his country to stand trial for several charges of corruption.

He awaits an official response from the Brazilian government to the official note issued by the Bolivian chancery. The president also reported the action of Brazilian conservative groups that, according to him, want the two governments to conflict with each other: “They want to arouse suspicions.”

According to Morales, the senator’s life was never put in danger while he was in Bolivia, and that Pinto Molina could go anywhere he wished within Bolivian territory, although he was not allowed to leave the country.

In Brazil, however, attorney-general of the Union Luís Inácio Adams said on Wednesday (August 28) that the Bolivian senator’s request for asylum will be reviewed by the National Committee for Refugees (“CONARE”) – an organization made up of representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Relations, Ministry of Labor, Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health. It is headed by the minister of Justice.

As a technical agency, CONARE will analyze whether the Bolivian congressman can be kept as a refugee under the law. “Therefore, it’s not a position (…) from the government; it’ll be a decision made by the council,” the minister said. He further explained that, if his asylum is granted, Pinto Molina will not be liable to extradition, since he would be under the shelter of the Brazilian government: “But if he is not granted asylum, then there are two other scenarios. In case his extradition is not requested, he must leave the country, not necessarily to go to Bolivia – he could go to any other country that welcomes him. If his extradition is requested, we'll have to wait until the whole proceeding is over so we can make a decision.”

Editors: Nadia Franco / Lícia Marques
Translators: Fabrício Ferreira

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