Background on US-Bolivia Relations and the DEA
The US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) conducted an overflight in Bolivia’s coca-growing region, the Chapare, to evaluate potential assistance in combating drug trafficking. This move comes after the DEA was expelled from Bolivia in 2008 by then-leftist president Evo Morales, who accused the agency of supporting a supposed political plot against his rule.
Shift in Bolivia’s Foreign Policy
The election of center-right leader Rodrigo Paz in November 2019 marked a significant shift in Bolivia’s foreign policy after two decades of socialist governments that strained US-Bolivia relations.
The new government sought closer ties with the US for economic cooperation and internal security, aiming to mend bilateral relations that had been frayed during the socialist era.
Recent DEA Overflight in Chapare Region
On Thursday, DEA officials and US representatives conducted an aerial observation in the Chapare, Bolivia’s primary coca-growing region and a significant source of cocaine. The overflight was led by Ernesto Justiniano, Bolivia’s Vice Minister of Rural Development and Defense of Territorial Security, who is the key political figure in the country’s anti-drug efforts.
The purpose of this overflight was not a police operation but to identify clandestine landing strips and drug labs from the air, according to Justiniano.
The helicopter also flew near the cocalero town of Lauca Eñe in the Chapare, where former president Evo Morales is under house arrest following accusations of child trafficking during his presidency, which he denies.
Future Cooperation and Challenges
Justiniano indicated that the ongoing work could pave the way for a future cooperation agreement between Bolivia and the US.
“We don’t have a specific date yet, but it needs to happen as soon as possible… Our current conditions for fighting drug trafficking are extremely poor,” he stated.
He explained that only two of the 31 available aircraft are currently operational due to financial constraints.
Local Reactions and Concerns
The local farmers’ unions expressed their concern over the DEA’s return, with Isidro Auca, a prominent cocalero leader, stating, “We reject this government’s decisions, which are puppets of the US, opening doors to the DEA.”
Bolivia is the world’s third-largest cocaine producer, according to the United Nations, following Colombia and Peru. The country has 34,000 hectares of coca cultivation, exceeding the legal limit.
Key Questions and Answers
- Who is Evo Morales? Evo Morales was Bolivia’s leftist president from 2006 to 2019, who expelled the US DEA from the country in 2008.
- Why was the DEA expelled from Bolivia? Morales accused the DEA of supporting a political plot against his rule.
- Who is the current president of Bolivia? Rodrigo Paz, a center-right leader, was elected in November 2019.
- What is the significance of the recent DEA overflight? The overflight aims to identify clandestine drug trafficking activities and assess potential cooperation between the US and Bolivia in combating drug trafficking.
- Why are local farmers concerned about the DEA’s return? Local leaders like Isidro Auca view the US and the DEA’s return as a threat to Bolivia’s sovereignty.
- What is Bolivia’s role in the global cocaine trade? Bolivia is the world’s third-largest coca producer, with 34,000 hectares of cultivation, surpassing the legal limit set by international agreements.
