Mission President Passes Away After Two-Month Battle with COVID-19

Sam Penrod, spokesman with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, released the following statement to media on Tuesday about the death of a mission president:

It is with sadness that we share news of the passing of President José Maria Batalla, president of the Bolivia Cochabamba Mission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. President Batalla, age 60, passed away this morning of cardiac arrest after a nearly two-month battle with COVID-19.

Sister Valeria Batalla was at her husband’s side when he passed at a rehabilitation hospital in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. President and Sister Batalla have been serving as mission leaders in Bolivia since July 2020 and are from Nordelta, Argentina. He previously served as an Area Seventy, stake president and bishop. President Batalla is survived by his wife, two daughters and two sons.

We express our love and condolences to President Batalla’s family, along with the missionaries he led in the Bolivia Cochabamba Mission. We pray that all will feel the Savior’s love as they honor and remember this faithful leader and his devotion to the Church.