Ruth Nina, a self-confessed admirer of former dictator Evo Morales, attempted to justify her threats against the Supreme Electoral Tribunal. In a conference, the PAN-Bol leader invoked freedom of expression to defend her controversial words.
She also claimed that her phrase "they will count the dead, not the votes" was part of a revolutionary speech. Her lawyer reinforced that idea and compared her statement to phrases from the National Anthem. He said that it's like saying "to die rather than live as slaves".
The jurist also invoked other expressions to support Nina's defense. He cited phrases such as "homeland or death" and even famous quotes about political violence.
According to him, these are common metaphors in passionate speeches. He questioned the attempt to criminalize words with ideological or symbolic weight. In his view, the Prosecutor's Office seeks to curtail freedom of thought.
The case arose after statements made by Nina at a meeting in Lauca Ñ. At that event, she said that on election day, the dead would be counted, not the votes. That phrase was rejected by various political and social sectors.
María Leonila Galindo, from CONADE, was the one who filed the criminal complaint. She accused the leader of inciting hatred and crime.
Rejection of the statements
The Minister of Government, Roberto Ríos, publicly condemned Nina's words. He stated that her remarks lack all responsibility. He called for the Prosecutor's Office and the Judicial Branch to act firmly.
He also maintained that a precedent must be set to stop these speeches. He asserted that political threats can't be allowed to become normalized.
Ruth Nina was supposed to testify before the Cochabamba Prosecutor's Office this Friday. However, she did not appear at the scheduled hearing. She argued that the Cercado court had already declared itself incompetent.
According to her version, the case was transferred to the jurisdiction of Shinahota. For this reason, neither she nor her lawyer attended the summons.
Meanwhile, the National Committee for the Defense of Democracy held a vigil. Its members demanded an immediate arrest warrant against Nina.
They denounced that the leader uses revolutionary rhetoric as a shield. They claimed that this is not an act of freedom of expression. They consider that it incites electoral violence.
During her conference, Nina launched attacks against her accusers. She called the members of CONADE "failed politicians". She called Lizeth Beramendi a "political corpse".
She also disqualified other opponents such as José Manuel Ormachea and Alberto Astorga. She publicly challenged them to a face-to-face debate.
