Statement calling for an end to the persecution of Juan Ramón Quintana
CLACSO WORKING GROUPS STATEMENT
WE DEMAND AN END TO THE PERSECUTION OF JUAN RAMÓN QUINTANA
The situation of political and institutional violence in Bolivia has escalated in recent weeks with the deployment of security forces to clear road blockades in Cochabamba, the reactivation of paramilitary groups that were part of the 2019 coup, and the very serious assassination attempt against former president Evo Morales, which remains unsolved.
We express our deep concern, especially regarding the circumstances surrounding the former ambassador and former Minister of the Presidency of the Plurinational State of Bolivia, Juan Ramon QuintanaA sociologist committed to Latin American critical thought, a key figure in the Bolivian process of change, and an active member of the CLACSO Working Groups on Geopolitics, Regional Integration and the World System y Studies on the United States.
It is alarming that his home was raided in the early hours of November 14, 2024, in a manner very similar to what occurred during the 2019 coup. Likewise, the facilities of the Observatory of Democracy and Security, a research center he directs with his wife, the prominent researcher, were also raided. Loreta Tellería (co-coordinator of the CLACSO Working Group on US Studies), were also subjected to a violent raid. More than ten police officers, a representative from the Ministry of the Interior, and a prosecutor carried out the operation, confiscating computers and boxes of documents. This center, which houses a library with more than 4 books, remains sealed off, so it is unclear what materials were stolen.
We are equally concerned that an immigration alert was activated against him on November 16.
In light of this situation, we express our unwavering solidarity with our colleague Juan Ramón Quintana and his family. We demand that the authorities of the various branches of the Plurinational State of Bolivia guarantee all his rights—including the right to continue his academic work—and conduct themselves in accordance with due process, protecting his safety and well-being.
Finally, we advocate for a peaceful resolution to political disputes so that the Plurinational State can return to its origins and to the construction of its project as a sovereign, just nation in favor of the majority.
November 21th out of 2024
CLACSO Working Group Geopolitics, Regional Integration and the World System
Adriana Cadena (National Confederation of Artisanal Fishing of Colombia)
Ana Esther Ceceña (National Autonomous University of Mexico)
Andrés Arauz (National Autonomous University of Mexico)
Andrés Chiriboga (Dollarization Observatory)
Beatriz Bissio (Federal University of Rio de Janeiro)
Christian Lorenzo (National University of Tierra del Fuego)
Efraín León (National Autonomous University of Mexico)
Elian Araujo (Fluminense Federal University)
Estevão Musa (Federal University of Rio de Janeiro)
Fernando Estenssoro Saavedra (University of Santiago, Chile)
Juan Agulló (Universidade Federal da Integração Latino-americana)
Manoranjan Mohanty (Council for Social Development of India)
Maribel Aponte (University of Puerto Rico)
Monica Bruckmann (Federal University of Rio de Janeiro)
Oscar Ugarteche (National Autonomous University of Mexico)
Rebeca Peralta (National Autonomous University of Mexico)
Ricardo Orozco (National Autonomous University of Mexico)
Sacha Llorenti (Former Bolivian Ambassador to the UN)
Sebastián Schulz (National University of La Plata)
Sergio Santana (Candido Mendes University)
Silvia Laura Rodríguez (University of Buenos Aires)
Silvina Romano (University of Buenos Aires)
Tamara Lajtman (University of Santiago, Chile)
Tatiana Garcia (University of São Paulo)
CLACSO Working Group Studies on the United States
Ary Cesar Minella (Federal University of Santa Catarina)
Leandro Morgenfeld (University of Buenos Aires)
Silvina Romano (University of Buenos Aires)
Tamara Lajtman (University of Santiago, Chile)
Sonia Winer (University of Buenos Aires)
Claudio Katz (University of Buenos Aires)
Alejandro Canales (University of Guadalajara)
Gabriel Merino (National University of La Plata)
Jaime Zuluaga Nieto (Externado University of Colombia)
Luis Suarez Salazar (University of Havana)
CLACSO Working Group Critical studies of rural development
Claudia Pilar Lizarraga (Jaina Study Community)
This statement expresses the position of the Working Group on Geopolitics, Regional Integration and the World System and some members of the Working Group on Studies on the United States, and not necessarily that of the centers and institutions that make up the CLACSO international network, its Steering Committee or its Executive Secretariat.
