Right-wing political leader Luis Fernando Camacho, a former governor of Santa Cruz, arrives at court, as a Bolivian judge deliberates a possible order to release him and fellow leader Marco Pumari (not pictured) to house arrest, after they have been held in pretrial detention for more than two and three years, respectively, in La Paz, Bolivia August 26, 2025. REUTERS/Claudia Morales

LA PAZ (Reuters) -A Bolivian court ordered the release of an influential right-wing political leader on Wednesday, less than two weeks after Bolivia's ruling socialist party lost an election that saw large gains for right-wing parties.

Luis Fernando Camacho, the governor of Bolivia's Santa Cruz region, was granted house arrest after being behind bars since 2022 with no conviction.

Camacho was arrested in 2022 and accused of "terrorism" for his participation in events during Bolivia's 2019 political crisis, a time in which then-President Evo Morales resigned amid allegations of electoral fraud.

Camacho, who led some of the demonstrations demanding that Morales leave power, also faced charges related to a strike he led in 2022.

Last week, Bolivia's Supreme Court of Justice ordered a review of Camacho's case, noting that pretrial detention in Bolivia cannot exceed six months.

Camacho's arrest drew criticism from human rights groups and accusations that the ruling Movement for Socialism (MAS) party was using the judiciary to go after its opponents after regaining power in Bolivia's 2020 election.

His release could signal changes in the fortunes of other figures who Bolivia's current right-wing opposition considers political prisoners, including former President Jeanine Anez. She took office in Morales' wake in 2019 and is serving a ten-year prison sentence related to her ascension to the presidency.

Marco Pumari, the jailed former president of the influential Civic Committee of Potosi, a region that holds the world's largest lithium reserves, may also be released to home arrest.

He was detained in 2021.

Bolivian courts are reviewing several cases against him, and on Tuesday lifted preventative detention for a matter related to the 2019 crisis. A judge is slated to review a separate case on Friday.

"There is hope. Bolivia is regaining the independence of its justice system and democratic values," Camacho's team wrote on his X account on Wednesday.

Camacho's lawyer on Wednesday said he expected the politician to be moved on Friday to Santa Cruz, Bolivia's wealthiest region, where Camacho was elected governor in 2021 after a failed 2020 presidential bid.

Camacho arrived to court on Monday wearing the governor's green-and-white sash over his handcuffs, telling reporters he would return to office if released.

In a post on X on Tuesday, Bolivian President Luis Arce, from the MAS party, criticized the lack of judicial progress on cases from the 2019 unrest following a disputed presidential election.

At least 36 people were killed and 800 injured during the turmoil, when violent clashes took place between Bolivian security forces and supporters of the ousted president Morales.

"We call on the judiciary to let its work be guided by truth and objectivity," Arce said.

Bolivians decisively repudiated the MAS, which has ruled the country for most of the past two decades, in a first-round presidential election on August 17. The party's official candidate won a little over 3% of the vote.

Centrist senator Rodrigo Paz and conservative former president Jorge "Tuto" Quiroga are set to face off in an October 19 runoff election.

(Reporting by Daniel Ramos, additional reporting by Lucinda Elliott; Writing by Brendan O'Boyle; Editing by Daina Beth Solomon and Alistair Bell)