Saúl Lara

Saúl Octavio Lara Torrico (born 3 October 1957) is a Bolivian lawyer, jurist, and politician who has served as a party-list member of the Chamber of Deputies from Cochabamba since 2020.

Appointed to head the Ministry of Government in 2004, Lara developed a lasting personal friendship with then-president Carlos Mesa, aiding his 2019 campaign to return to the presidency.

[1][2] In the ensuing years, Lara dedicated himself to practicing law, establishing the firm Legal Bolivia, which provided consultancy to a variety of institutions and companies.

The party's leading cadres held much in common with the president, sharing his urban academic background, an openness to social issues, and a concern for ethics in politics.

[6][7] His tenure as head of national public safety navigated a precarious path, balancing maintaining order amid ongoing social conflicts while simultaneously adhering to Mesa's pledge to avoid police violence and bloodshed where possible.

[10][11] Together with figures like Loyola Guzmán and José Antonio Quiroga, Lara comprised part of the Broad Front's furthest left wing, a group whose representatives ultimately broke away from the coalition when Doria Medina forged an alliance with the right-wing Social Democratic Movement.