Bolivian presidential candidate Luis Arce appears before Prosecutor's Office

La Paz, January 29 (RHC)-- The Movement Towards Socialism (MAS) presidential candidate Luis Arce Wednesday morning arrived at the Prosecutor's Office to give statements in an investigation for a case of alleged corruption at the Indigenous Peoples and Farmers' Development Fund (FONDIOC).

Once the hearing began, however, the prosecutor decided to suspend the informative declaration so that Arce, who had arrived in Bolivia on Tuesday, can have time to review the legal process documents.

Upon leaving the Prosecutor's Office, Arce reiterated that he has nothing to do with the prosecution's investigation.   "I have nothing to hide.  I am not corrupt,” he said as hundreds of MAS militants accompanied him on the street with shouts of support for his presidential candidacy.

According to local outlets, FONDIOC officials would have denounced Arce for having authorized the delivery of funds that were diverted from their original purposes.  In 2015, in the Senate's investigation of this case, Arce indicated that he, who was the Minister of Economy at that time, could never have diverted public funds to private accounts because he did not manage those funds.

On Tuesday morning, Arce arrived in Bolivia to begin his election campaign.  While he was still at the airport, the State Attorney General's office gave him a notification stating that he had to appear on Wednesday to provide information for the FONDIOC case investigation.​​​​​​​

​​​​​Although there was strict control at the entrance to El Alto airport, dozens of people managed to enter the terminal and greet the socialist candidate.