Ex-Bolivian president to appeal defamation sentencing, attorney says

[Judi Lynn]

Ex-Bolivian president to appeal defamation sentencing, attorney says
By the CNN Wire Staff
September 6, 2010 -- Updated 1438 GMT (2238 HKT)

(CNN) -- Former Bolivian President Jorge Quiroga will appeal his prison sentence of nearly three years for defaming a bank, his attorney said Sunday.

Judge Rene Delgado sentenced Quiroga on Saturday after the former leader was found guilty of defaming the Banco Union in statements he made in February 2009, nearly seven years after leaving office. The former president, who ruled from August 2001 to August 2002, said the Banco Union was "a money-launderer for resources obtained in a bad way, for Venezuelan resources and for resources from corruption," the state-run Agencia Boliviana de Informacion said.

Quiroga's attorney, Ivan Aleman, said the sentencing was unexpected.

"We were surprised yesterday by an aberrant ruling that my client would be denied his liberty for two years and eight months," Aleman said Sunday.

At the time of Quiroga's comments, the Bolivian Public Ministry was investigating Banco Union in connection with $450,000 in a trust fund handled by businessman Jorge O'Connor D'Arlach, who had been shot to death in January 2009, the state news agency said.

The bank filed a legal complaint against the former president after his comments, which were carried extensively by local media.

Quiroga, 50, received a bachelor's degree in industrial engineering from Texas A&M University in 1981 and holds a master's degree in business administration from St. Edward's University in Austin, Texas.

More:
http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/09/06/bolivia.former.president.convicted/#fbid=q1U2OJnT7yd&wom=false

http://www.partidosbolivia.org.bo.nyud.net:8090/Portals/0/Imagenes/jorge_quiroga_ramirez_ficha_biografia.jpg

Jorge Quiroga

http://comunicas.org.nyud.net:8090/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/quirogabush.jpg

[naaman fletcher]

1. Imagine that.

A so called progressive who likes Chavez thinking that defaming a bank is a bad thing. I'd be happy to defame every bank in the world. Glad to see where you stand Judi.

[Judi Lynn]

2. What do you know that binds Evo Morales to this prosecution?

He was not mentioned in the article, was he?

[naaman fletcher]

3. I was talking about you.

When you dislike someone, you post pics of them with w, as you did here.

[Judi Lynn]

4. Very rarely are there photos of anyone decent with George W. Bush.

I post photos of a lot of people. Most of them are WITHOUT _{George W. Bush,} by the way.

It's a feeble post. You should have more important ways to spend your time.

[Bacchus39]

6. naaman fletcher didn't mention Morales either

why not spend your time learning Spanish rather than posting insults to informative members here? its not the US media that is keeping you ignorant of news in Latin America. you are keeping yourself that way.

[Bacchus39]

5. defaming a bank????? hahaha n/t

s

[rabs]

7. Goni Sanchez de Lozada should be next

What Quiroga did was piddling compared with the massacre while Sanchez de Lozada was president.


From his wiki



Sánchez de Lozada was twice elected President of Bolivia, both times on the MNR ticket. During his first term (1993–1997), he initiated a series of landmark social, economic and constitutional reforms. Elected to a second term in 2002, he resigned in October 2003 in protest after violent protests related to the Bolivian gas conflict in which some 60 protesters, soldiers and policemen died. In March 2006, he resigned the leadership of the MNR.

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Of course the U.S. government refuses to extradite him to stand trial and he live a comfortable life in the Washington, D.C. area.

[Judi Lynn]

8. It IS a shame he gets to hide out in the US with full protection from the spindly arms of justice.

Morality is just not going to enter into his complete support by the U.S. Government, and his protection from the loved ones, families of these people who were mowed down in the street by his military, and the Bolivian citizens who believe in the rightness of their laws against murder.

I read an article on ONE of those shot by his killers, a young mother who was shot dead center in the middle of her back, leaving a large open hole, leaving her alive, in nightmarish pain, and unable to move as she lingered for months and months, only able to suffer infinitely moment to moment for months. Just reading about her situation was almost more than I could take, and still disturbs me so damned deeply.

She was only ONE, and she was not counted among those killed, since she died later, as do so many war dead who also are not counted.

I've seen photos of a man who still went back to protest as soon as he could, only his next trip meant going there on crutches, since his leg was shot away from him by Goni's' henchmen.

The unreported victims undoubtedly numbered far more than the 60+, and that was FAR, FAR more than should EVER be allowed to stand without a proper answer from Lozado de Sanchez.

It should also earn James Carville, Bob Schrumm, and others from that strategy group a HUGE swift kick to their mercenary asses.