By Heba Girgis
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America
SUCRE, Bolivia—A rebel mob in the town of San Matias, Bolivia dragged two Brazilian murder suspects from the Bolivian jail, beat them and burned them alive. Allegedly, the Brazilians had shot to death three Bolivians and wounded two others in a drunken dispute in Tuesday, August 14. The reason for the dispute still remains unclear.
The seven police officers who were responsible for keeping the Brazilians in custody were completely overwhelmed by the mob that attacked the prison and were unable to control the situation. They fired several shots into the air with no avail.
The two bodies of the Brazilian prisoners were delivered to Brazilian police late Tuesday night. Col. Lily Cortez, Bolivia’s regional police commander has vowed to arrest and prosecute the members of the mob responsible for the deaths. As of today, no one has been arrested.
The lynching of the alleged criminals occurred in the town of San Matias, a town located on the border of Bolivia and Brazil with an active community of drug traffickers and car thieves. Bolivian police officers noted that the town of San Matias has now become a kind of refuge for Brazilian criminals and that violent behavior is not altogether uncommon in this particular part of the country.
In many areas of rural Bolivia, these types of lynchings are common, as law enforcement officers and judicial workers are rare.
Claudio Rojas, the town councilman, told the Associated Press that, “It’s barbarous what occurred Tuesday night, but people are tired of so much insecurity. No one is in charge of this town, where criminals do whatever they please.”
In the past, there have been many instances where innocent individuals have been injured or killed by angry mobs. According to these groups, they wanted nothing more than to simply bring swift justice. While Bolivia’s constitution did legalize “traditional justice,” the Bolivian legislative assembly passed a law in 2010 making it clear that lynching and any form of the death penalty are strictly forbidden.
The Brazilian foreign ministry now voices its deep concerns over the situation and demands that its embassy in La Paz, Bolivia call upon Bolivian authorities to establish new measures to protect prisoners and prevent this kind of incident from occurring again in the future.
The Brazilian ministry has also strongly urged the Bolivian authorities to carry out a “swift and rigorous” investigation into these types of criminal activities.
For further information, please see:
BBC News – Bolivia Lynching: Brazil Condemns Deaths in San Matias – 16 August 2012
International Business Times – Mob Justice in Bolivia: Two Brazilian Murder Suspects Burned Alive – 16 August 2012
The Guardian – Bolivian Mob Lynches 2 Brazilian Murder Suspects – 15 August 2012
The Province – Bolivian Mob Drags 2 Brazilian Murder Suspects From Jail in Border Town, Burns Them Alive – 15 August 2012
