Ancoraimes Councilwoman Assasinated
Juana Quispe Apaza, a councilwoman in the municipality of Ancoraimes, was murdered on March 12, 2012 (Hilari Quispe 2024). Prior to her death, she had experienced harassment and violence levied by the mayor of Ancoraimes, Félix Huanca Flores, as well as his councilor, Pastor Cutili (Hilari Quispe 2024). Apaza’s death sparked mass mobilization in Bolivia and resulted in the passage of Law 432, which includes preventative provisions for violence and harassment against women as well as protocol for addressing and sanctioning violators of the law (BBC News 2014; Rodríguez et al. 2012). On January 1st, 2024, the main perpetrators in the murder of Apaza, Félix Huanca Flores and Pastor Cutili, were sentenced to 30 years in prison (Hilari Quispe 2024). Accessory to the murder, Basilia Ramos was charged with 15 years and Exalta Arismendi was charged with 2 years for obstruction of justice (Hilari Quispe 2024) Despite the passage of the Law 432, women’s groups claim that the violence and harassment Apaza endured during her tenure as councilwoman continues to affect other female council members contemporarily (BBC News 2014).
Juana Quispe Apaza was elected in 2010 as the councilor for the municipality of Ancoraimes in the province of Omasuyos de la Paz. Upon being elected, she faced significant harassment from councilmembers and notably, the mayor of Ancoraimes, Félix Huanca Flores, who had barred Apaza from participating in council sessions (Mendoza 2012). Apaza filed complaints against the council members, both of which were ruled in her favor by the courts, however, there was no follow through. Apaza continued to endure verbal and physical violence at the hands of other council members, Flores and his family reportedly attacked Apaza at the Ancoraimes Plaza, dragging her by the hair around the plaza (Hilari Quispe 2024). The harassment spanned over the course of two years and culminated into a death threat issued by Pastor Cutile, the councilhead of Ancoraimes, a couple days before Apaza’s assassination (Butters 2012; “Juicio por el asesinato de la concejala Juana Quispe avanza con la declaración de los principales acusados” 2023).
On March 12, 2012, Flores and fellow council members invited Apaza to attend a march taking place in La Paz that celebrated Akulliku Day. Apaza attended and upon the conclusion of the march, she was approached by Exalta Arismendi, who had allegedly been paid to befriend Apaza, who asked to accompany Apaza back home. Both women boarded the minibus and shortly thereafter, Apaza was strangled with a belt by the men who were on board. After she was strangled to death, her body was dumped near the Orkojahuira river (Hilari Quispe 2024) On March 13, 2012, neighbors reported that a woman’s body was trapped between the rocks behind the Obrero Hospital. Preliminary investigations stated that probable cause of her assassination was political vengeance (Mendoza 2012). After the news of her death, Flores organized a city-wide march, asking for justice for Apaza (Hilari Quispe 2024)
Following her death, there were mass nation-wide protests that demanded justice for Apaza and a stop to the harassment and violence female politicians face (BBC News 2014). On May 28th, 2012, the Law Against Harassment and Political Violence against Women, was passed (Rodríguez et al. 2012).
On March 15, 2013, the Public Ministry formally charged Félix Huanca Flores and Pastor Cutili Quispe (Rojas 2013). After a lapse of 11 years, on January 1, 2024, the perpetrators were sentenced in the assassination of Apaza. Félix Huanca Flores and Pastor Cutili, were both sentenced to 30 years in prison, and Basilia Ramos and Exalta Arismendi were charged with 15 years and 2 years, respectively (Hilari Quispe 2024).