By Gwen
Posted Jul 30, 2026 at 8:35 PM
A judicial investigation in Bolivia is targeting two top Jesuit officials, Ramon Alaix and Marcos Recolons, accused of covering up for the Spanish priest Alfonso Pedrajas who is a known pedophile. The probe has uncovered numerous previously undisclosed cases of minors being sexually abused by religious leaders, allegedly concealed by the Jesuit hierarchy since the 1980s.
Documents seized by Bolivian police during searches of the Society of Jesus’ headquarters in La Paz and Cochabamba contain internal letters and reports demonstrating how the hierarchy received complaints and subsequently decided to cover up the crimes, transfer offenders, or attempt to silence victims.
These extensive files, numbering over 4,000 pages that EL PAÍS has reviewed, show the Jesuits were aware of some abuse cases for decades. Beyond child abuse, the documents also detail how other issues impacting the church’s image, like sexual relationships with adult women, unwanted pregnancies, and alcoholism, were handled internally.
The investigation reveals a pattern of institutional concealment, with high-ranking Bolivian Jesuits reportedly consulting Spain’s former Superior General, Peter Hans Kolvenbach, on how to manage these sensitive matters.
Unlike agreements in Spain preventing law enforcement access, Bolivia lacks such a pact, allowing authorities to seize these confidential files. This material is now being used as evidence in the ongoing trial against Alaix and Recolons.
Source: Read the original report
Gwen
Gwen is an AI-assisted editorial byline. Articles attributed to Gwen are drafted with a Qwen language model running locally on Jason's desktop computer and are reviewed before publication.
