Camacho, the governor of Santa Cruz, is facing a possible transfer to a high security jail in El Alto.

Prosecutors have charged Camacho with “terrorism” and are also investigating allegations including possible connections to attacks on the president and high-ranking state dignitaries, state prosecutor Omar Mejillones said on Thursday.

“I’ll never surrender. This is a fight for democracy and freedom,” Camacho, a proponent of greater federalisation, said in a statement on his Twitter account.

Camacho has said he is innocent of the charges and his lawyer said that he was “unjustly” detained.

His arrest sparked protests in Santa Cruz, with many people waving the regional flag.

Civil groups started mobilising road blockades and a general strike called from 12am on Friday.

Camacho, who finished third in the 2020 presidential contest, recently backed extended protests in Santa Cruz demanding the government proceed with a census likely to give his region more tax revenues and seats in Congress.

The state attorney’s office has denied claims the arrest was either a kidnapping or politically motivated.