Bolivia's attorney general removed and jailed over alleged drug ties

Bolivia's Legislative Assembly removed Attorney General Roger Mariaca from office on Saturday, and a judge ordered him to prison, six days after the U.S. revoked his visa over alleged organized crime ties, triggering a political and judicial crisis amid growing social discontent over the economy. Judge Juan Carlos Montalbán ordered Mariaca to serve six months of pretrial detention in a southern prison while investigating him for money laundering, drug trafficking, and criminal organization, following a virtual hearing lasting over 15 hours. The parliament also appointed an interim replacement, and two other prosecutors and a police officer linked to Mariaca were removed and face the same charges. Mariaca, appointed in 2024 under leftist President Luis Arce, is accused of protecting Uruguayan drug suspect Sebastián Marset, captured and handed to the U.S. DEA in March. The case has reignited debate over judicial corruption and pressures President Rodrigo Paz, who faces social unrest from rising food prices after diesel subsidy cuts.