New report blasts Bolivian forces for post-coup violence

The fallout from the 2019 coup in Bolivia continued this week as the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) released a report denouncing the country’s police and military forces for “excessive and disproportionate use of force” in the aftermath of Evo Morales’ ousting, most notably in the “massacres” of Sacaba and Senkata.

At least 37 Bolivians lost their lives amid state repression of protests between September and December last year, the report said.

The report comes at a time of heightened tensions between Bolivia and the Organization of American States (OAS), of which the IACHR is a component. The distrust stems from spurious fraud allegations issued by the OAS during Mr. Morales’ controversial attempt at re-election, which prompted a coup attempt by the country’s police and military forces.

Another OAS body, the Inter-American Court on Human Rights, ruled last week against the legal arguments used by a Bolivian court, according to which Mr. Morales was authorized to run again in 2019. Mr. Morales has previously lost a referendum on allowing him another term — something that played a major part in provoking the anti-Morales uprisings.

Now, however, the report issued by the Interdisciplinary Group of Independent Experts (GIEI) — which was tasked by the IACHR with carrying out a fact-finding mission on the violence that took place before and after Mr. Morales’ ousting — is more in line with the understanding of events held by...