Del Granado, from ally to irreconcilable rival of Evo Morales

Juan del Granado became famous in Bolivia during the 80's, when he ignored the threats to make him drop the charges against Garcia Meza, who had ruled de facto in the country, from 1980 to 1981. Del Granado is candidate from the party Movimiento Sin Miedo (MSM). Most opposition parties reach Bolivian general elections scheduled for tomorrow in debt, the most indebted is the MSM.

Juan del Granado was an ally of Bolivian President Evo Morales, but his ambition seeking power made him an irreconcilable rival and relentless faultfinder of the incumbent president.

Del Granado, 61 and lawyer by profession, is candidate from the party Movimiento Sin Miedo (MSM), a political organization named after its leader, who won the alias Juan Sin Miedo (Fearless Juan) for his fight to condemn former dictator Luis Garcia Meza, currently imprisoned at Chonchocoro's high security prison.

Del Granado, MSM leader, became famous in Bolivia during the 80's, when he ignored the threats to make him drop the charges against Garcia Meza, who had ruled de facto in the country, from 1980 to 1981.

A young lawyer from Cochabamba by then, Del Granado insisted that Garcia Meza was convicted of economic crimes, genocide and violation of human rights, a battle that was won nine years later with a 30-year sentence without any right to Garcia's pardon.

Del Granado's courage won him the admiration of the people, something that earned him a parliamentarian seat since 1993 and the opportunity to become president of the committee for Human Rights and the Constitution of the Lower Chamber.

Afterward, from 1999 to 2010, he was major in La Paz from the MSM, after leaving the social democrat-party Movimiento de Izquierda Revolucionaria (MIR).

In his second period as major, his ties with Morales were close, he even was praised by him, urging other majors in the country to follow his example.

Then, the relations cooled off and during the campaign underway Del Granado has based his propaganda on constant attacks against the incumbent president and his management, even saying that he could form an alliance with any other party.

Most opposition parties reach Bolivian general elections scheduled for tomorrow in debt, the media reported here today. The most indebted party is the Sin Miedo Movement (MSM), according to the responsible for managing the finances of that political organization Marcela Revollo, who explained that one of the candidates to the legislature requested a bank loan of 100,000 bolivianos (US$ 14,347) that they will have to pay.

Revollo, wife of MSM presidential candidate Juan del Granado, admitted that the loan aims to fulfill outstanding commitments with the media.

Source: Prensa Latina.