Human rights violations in Bolivia merit outside probe -Americas commission head

COCHABAMBA, Bolivia, (Reuters) - Bolivia may need outside help to investigate a “massive” number of human rights violations amid post-election violence to ensure findings are seen as credible in the deeply divided country, the head of a regional human rights commission told Reuters yesterday.

After a three-day visit to Bolivia, Paulo Abrão, who heads the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), recommended Bolivia coordinate with an international panel of experts similar to one formed to investigate the disappearance of 43 students in Mexico.

“Normally in these situations ... national institutions aren’t prepared to resolve such a massive grouping of violations” of human rights, Abrão said in an interview in Cochabamba, a region hard hit by the violence.

Bolivia spiraled into chaos after its Oct. 20 election was mired in controversy amid allegations it had been rigged in favor of former socialist President Evo Morales, who resigned under pressure from security forces and protesters.

Most of the at least 33 fatalities since the vote occurred after the military deployed against Morales’ backers as they blocked strategic roads to protest what they viewed as a coup.

President Jeanine Áñez, a rightwing former Senator, took office on Nov. 12 as the most senior elected official in a power vacuum.

Áñez’ government and backers of Morales, despite hostilities, have managed to reach a series of deals to pave the way for new elections, to end protests and to withdraw troops from the streets, a step Abrão praised as key to preventing more rights violations.

It was unclear when new elections might be held. The first appointee to the incoming electoral board has said it was technically impossible to organize them by Jan. 22, when the current executive and legislative terms end.