Bolivia’s Supreme Court is giving President Romer Saucedo six days to appear before considering a replacement, while a five-day deadline for his return has also been reported. (Foto: Instagram)
Romer Saucedo, president of Bolivia’s Supreme Court, could lose his position if he does not return to the country within five days. The 38-year-old judge says he left Bolivia after receiving death threats and fearing for his family’s safety. He is under criminal investigation, and prosecutors have ordered his arrest.
On Thursday, Nov. 5, the Supreme Court decided to wait six days for Saucedo to appear before considering the selection of a new president. During that period, the court’s senior member, Rosmery Ruiz, will temporarily assume his duties. The court’s six-day waiting period and the five-day deadline cited for Saucedo’s return were both reported.
Saucedo says he is the target of political persecution by the government of center-right President Rodrigo Paz. In a post on X, he said he feared being arrested or killed for challenging political interests in the country. He also pointed to the April shooting death in Santa Cruz of Víctor Hugo Claure, a member of Bolivia’s Agro-Environmental Court. Saucedo said Claure was killed for opposing the interests of people involved in corruption. “I don’t want the same thing to happen to me, so I would rather leave,” he wrote.
Authorities have not confirmed that Saucedo left Bolivia. Acting Attorney General José Armando Urioste said migration records show the judge entered the country on Tuesday, Nov. 3, but do not record his departure. Authorities suspect he may have crossed the border by land.
The Bolivian Prosecutor’s Office said it issued an arrest warrant for Saucedo on Wednesday, Nov. 4, on suspicion of trafficking controlled substances and criminal association. Urioste did not provide details about the judge’s possible involvement, saying the investigation is confidential and relies on the cooperation of protected witnesses. He also said he would ask Interpol to issue a red notice to help locate Saucedo. The judge denies having any ongoing criminal cases and says he plans to return when he and his family are safe. He has also denied resigning as Supreme Court president.
The investigation is part of a series of operations targeting members of Bolivia’s judicial system. Since October, authorities have arrested senior officials suspected of links to drug trafficking. Among them is former Attorney General Roger Mariaca, who was arrested after the United States revoked his visa and those of other officials and businesspeople from Bolivia, Colombia, Peru, and Ecuador. The U.S. government accuses Mariaca of taking bribes to facilitate drug trafficking and help violent criminals evade justice.
Bolivia’s Deputy Interior Minister Peter Maldonado linked the Mariaca case to Saucedo’s reported departure, saying people connected to the former prosecutor and criminal activity were also leaving the country. On Wednesday, Paz said Saucedo’s departure was connected to investigations into Bolivia’s judicial system. Saucedo became Supreme Court president in January 2025 and supported government initiatives to increase institutional transparency.
