Mirian Rosell was cleared to take a seat on Bolivia’s Supreme Court of Justice representing Santa Cruz, filling the vacancy left by former court president Rómer Saucedo. (Foto: Instagram)
Mirian Rosell was cleared Wednesday, Nov. 11, to take a seat on Bolivia’s Supreme Court of Justice representing the department of Santa Cruz. She is set to fill the vacancy left by Rómer Saucedo, the court’s former president, who is under investigation and was ordered arrested by Bolivia’s Public Ministry. Authorities have not confirmed that Saucedo is in Brazil, where he is suspected of having gone.
Saucedo announced on social media on Nov. 4 that he had left Bolivia with his family. But investigators found no official record of his departure through the country’s immigration checkpoints. The interim attorney general, José Armando Urioste, has said Saucedo may have traveled to Brazil. In remarks reported by Bolivian broadcaster Red Uno, Urioste said authorities had information that Saucedo could be in a Brazilian city, that the matter was being investigated, and that migration alerts had been activated. Police are also examining whether he crossed the border by an unauthorized land route.
Bolivia’s Public Ministry issued an arrest warrant for Saucedo a day after he reportedly left the country. He is being investigated on suspicion of involvement in drug trafficking, corruption and ties to Brazil’s First Command of the Capital, known as PCC. The warrant accused him of trafficking controlled substances and belonging to a criminal organization. Urioste has also accused Saucedo of links to Roger Mariaca. Authorities could pursue additional allegations involving Saucedo, including bribery and abandonment of his duties.
Since Saucedo’s departure, Rosmery Ruiz, the court’s senior justice, has led it on an interim basis. Ruiz set Nov. 11 as the deadline for Saucedo to return to his post. After he did not appear, the court’s full bench was expected to choose a new leader or consider bringing forward the appointment of Carlos Ortega, who was elected to become president in January 2027.
Rosell placed second in Bolivia’s 2024 judicial elections and was called up by the country’s Supreme Electoral Tribunal after Saucedo’s seat was officially declared vacant. She said she would take office once administrative procedures were complete and planned to join the court’s full bench on Thursday, Nov. 12. The court’s leadership would also be discussed at that session.
The wider judicial crisis intensified in early October with the arrest of Mariaca, whom the Bolivian government accuses of favoring criminal organizations and shielding people involved in drug trafficking. His detention came two days after the United States canceled his visa, along with those of other public officials and businesspeople from Bolivia and neighboring countries. The administration of President Donald Trump has accused Mariaca of accepting bribes to facilitate drug trafficking and help criminals evade justice. Bolivian authorities are also investigating a possible connection between Mariaca and Uruguayan drug trafficker Sebastián Marset. Urioste has accused Saucedo of maintaining ties to Mariaca as well.
