A former lawmaker, she became interim leader in 2019 after the resignation of Evo Morales (right), the country's first Indigenous president. 'This is not justice,' said former President Carlos Mesa, who has finished second to Morales in several elections. 'They are seeking to decapitate an opposition by creating a false narrative of a coup to distract from a fraud.' Áñez, a legislator who had been several rungs down the ladder of presidential succession, was vaulted into the interim presidency. New Justice Minister Iván Lima said that Áñez, 53, faces charges related to her actions as an opposition senator, not as former president.

Source: The Nation March 14, 2021 13:07 UTC