Judge Mirian Rosell was cleared to take a permanent seat on Bolivia’s Supreme Court, filling the vacancy left by former court president Rómer Saucedo. (Foto: Instagram)
Amid a deep institutional and judicial crisis in Bolivia, judge Mirian Rosell was cleared on Wednesday, Nov. 11, to take a permanent seat on the country’s Supreme Court of Justice representing the department of Santa Cruz. She will fill the vacancy left by Rómer Saucedo, the court’s former president, who is under investigation and faces an arrest warrant issued by prosecutors. The authorities have not confirmed that Saucedo is in Brazil, where he is suspected of having fled.
Interim Attorney General José Armando Urioste has accused Saucedo of leaving Bolivia for Brazil. On Nov. 4, Saucedo announced on social media that he had left the country with his family, but authorities have found no official record of his departure. The Bolivian prosecutor’s office issued an arrest warrant a day before the reported departure, accusing him of trafficking controlled substances and belonging to a criminal organization.
Saucedo is also being investigated on suspicion of involvement in drug trafficking and corruption, as well as alleged links to Brazil’s First Capital Command (PCC) criminal organization. Urioste said investigators had information that Saucedo might be in a Brazilian city, but stressed that the report was still being investigated. Migration alerts had been activated, he said in comments carried by Bolivian broadcaster Red Uno. Initial police inquiries found no record of Saucedo passing through an official immigration checkpoint, prompting authorities to investigate whether he may have crossed into Brazil by an unauthorized land route. He could also face inquiries into other alleged misconduct, including bribery and abandoning his duties.
Rosell finished second in Bolivia’s 2024 judicial elections and was summoned by the country’s electoral court after Saucedo’s seat was officially declared vacant. She said she would take office after completing administrative procedures and expected to join the Supreme Court’s full bench on Thursday, Nov. 12. The justices are also expected to discuss who will lead the court. Rosell’s appointment fills Saucedo’s seat, but the court’s leadership remains unsettled.
Since Saucedo’s departure, the court has been led on an interim basis by its senior judge, Rosmery Ruiz. After Saucedo announced that he had left Bolivia, Ruiz set Nov. 11 as the deadline for him to return to his duties. He did not appear by that date. The full court must now choose a new leader or consider moving up the start of Carlos Ortega’s term. Ortega was elected to take over as president in January 2027.
The broader crisis intensified in early October with the arrest of Roger Mariaca, whom the Bolivian government accuses of favoring criminal organizations and protecting people involved in drug trafficking. His arrest 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 also accused Saucedo of having ties to Mariaca.
