José María Leyes was the Mayor of the City of Cochabamba and an outspoken critic of President Evo Morales and his Movement for Socialism (MAS) party. José María was arrested in April 2018 on baseless corruption charges and later suspended from his official duties; he was just one of several prominent Democrat leaders whom the MAS had targeted with fabricated criminal charges. He was held both under house arrest and in prison. On November 19, 2019, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention found his detention to be arbitrary and in violation of international law and called for his immediate and unconditional release. On February 13, 2020, José María was released from detention and he was able to resume his duties as Mayor of Cochabamba the next day.
Media Release Announcing José María Leyes Freed in Wake of United Nations Decision Urging His Immediate Release
February 14, 2020