Politicization of pedophilia cases ruled out in Bolivia | News

The Government of Bolivia ruled out that the confrontation with the pedophilia scandal within the Catholic Church is being politicized in the South American country, while protest demonstrations continue this Friday in various departments against sexual crimes committed by pedophilic priests and their cover-up.

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At a press conference, the Bolivian Vice Minister of Communication, Gabriela Alcón, also regretted the null results of the commission formed by the Bolivian Episcopal Conference (CEB), which in 2019 began to investigate the matter.

"It hurts that for a long time no progress has been made, it has been covered up and an investigation has not been carried out properly," questioned the official.

However, the Bolivian Vice Minister of Communication welcomed the information that the clergy can collect; but she insisted that, as a State, they take the corresponding actions because children cannot be allowed to "be affected and not find justice for what happened for so many years."

Gabriela Alcón also asserted that the Executive of President Luis Arce collaborates so that the investigations advance in the best way and due process is complied with.

On April 30, the crimes of pedophilia of the deceased Jesuit priest Alfonso Pedrajas were revealed, who confessed in his diary to having abused more than 85 children and adolescents, most of them at the Juan XXIII School in Cochabamba. He further stated that many of his superiors knew about it and suggested that he pray.

When this case was made public, several victims also accused the Jesuit priests Carlos Villamil, Eduardo Cabanac, Jorge Vila and Luis Roma Padrosa, who kept photos of his victims, most of them indigenous girls from Charagua, Santa Cruz.

In addition, a wave of indignation was unleashed in all sectors of Bolivian society. The Society of Jesus recently reported on the internal investigations that were initiated against at least two of the priests, Pedrajas and Roma.