Former Bolivian President Jeanine Anez, who is currently under pre-trial detention, tried to injure herself, but her condition is stable, the сountry's minister of government, Eduardo Del Castillo said.
The government official told the press on Saturday that Anez tried to harm herself in the early morning, but fortunately was not able to do anything serious, and her condition was stated as stable.
"She has some small scratches on one of her arms, however, there is nothing to worry about," Del Castillo added.
The minister also referred to Anez's recent hospitalizations, assuring reporters that after visits to different health centers in recent weeks, the medical examinations that were carried out show that the former president is in healthy enough condition to continue with her pre-trial detention in Miraflores prison.
According to the local Pagina Siete newspaper, Anez's lawyer said that her client is in a depressed mental state and asks to be released from jail so that she can defend herself "from home." The lawyer urged the Bolivian authorities to "let her defend herself in freedom, otherwise, the consequences will be fatal."
And another lawyer representing Anez, Luis Guillen, reportedly told the outlet that the self-harm incident was a suicide attempt. The lawyer claimed that during the last five months of detention, the penitentiary facility's officials incorrectly administered medications, in addition to drugs that were counterproductive to Anez's health, which may have caused a bout of depression and paranoia that would have led the ex-president to make the decision to end her life.
On Friday, the Bolivian General Prosecutor’s office formally submitted charges against Anez to stand trial for genocide and asked the Supreme Court of Justice to urgently require the authorization of Parliament to continue the process.
On Tuesday, an international special panel reviewing the 2019 protest crackdown in Bolivia, during which Anez rose to power, had called law enforcement officials' conduct a massacre. The commission considered the actions of the law enforcement officers as a massacre, confirming that at least 37 people were killed and hundreds injured, while most of them were civilians protesting against Anez. Following these findings, another case against the former president may be filed.
After the Bolivian opposition, led by Carlos Mesa, claimed that there were numerous irregularities during the October 2019 election, Evo Morales resigned as president and departed Bolivia under military duress in November 2019. In the wake of his ouster, the majority of Bolivia's top authorities also resigned.
Thus, Anez, who was the opposition vice-speaker of the senate at the time, gained power in the country. Morales has since then referred to the situation as a coup. Anez organized a new presidential election, which was held on October 18, 2020, which was won by Luis Arce, a member of Morales' Movement for Socialism.
Anez was detained in March on allegations of terrorism, inciting to insurrection, and conspiracy in connection with the suspected coup. Since then, she has been held in jail.