The former minister of the Presidency and until now ambassador of Bolivia to the Organization of American States (OAS), José Luis Lupo, has submitted his resignation this Tuesday, considering that "the conditions are no longer in place" to promote the transformation of the country after "years of institutional deterioration," in a context marked by the crisis shaking the Bolivian Prosecutor's Office.
In a letter sent to the president of the country, Rodrigo Paz, and disseminated through his social networks, Lupo explains the reasons for his resignation. "After a calm and careful reflection, I have come to the conclusion that I must decline the honor of representing Bolivia before the Organization of American States. My commitment to Bolivia and my decision to work to build that country that Bolivians dream of remain as firm as ever," the diplomat states in the text.
The former minister emphasizes in the letter that "it has not been an easy decision" and argues that "the circumstances have changed" since he accepted Paz's assignment, when he was "convinced that he could continue serving the country" from the organization that groups 35 states of the American continent.
Lupo stresses that "it would not be honest of me to act as if nothing has happened during these last months. (...) I believe that today the conditions are not in place to take on this mission. That is why I have decided to close this chapter (...) It is the decision most consistent with my convictions, with my principles, and with the way I have always understood public service."
The former minister of the Presidency in Rodrigo Paz's government until last August also states that it has been "an honor" to serve as the Bolivian representative to the OAS, a position he accepted understanding that "it was possible to contribute to a transformation that the country needs" in a new stage for Bolivia after the five years of Luis Arce's mandate and the previous 14 of Evo Morales.
In his letter, Lupo recalls that "I believed that Bolivia had an opportunity before it that we could not miss, that after years of institutional deterioration it was possible to begin to build a new State, capable of leaving behind practices that had weakened the institutionality, overcoming the deep economic, political, social, and ethical crisis that they left us, and recovering the citizens' trust in democracy and in its institutions. I close this chapter with the peace of having tried to do so."
The resignation of the ambassador occurs while the Prosecutor's Office of Bolivia is going through a serious internal crisis, due to the accusations of drug trafficking against former Attorney General Róger Mariaca and other former high-ranking officials of the Public Ministry. Mariaca, who took office as Attorney General in October 2024, has been in preventive detention since this Monday, after the United States imposed sanctions against him and other officials.
The investigations indicate that the former prosecutor allegedly led a supposed criminal network within the Bolivian judiciary to provide protection to important drug trafficking organizations, including those linked to high-profile criminals such as the Uruguayan Sebastían Marset.