Bolivia inks $20 million US drug‑trafficking aid deal
Bolivia’s foreign ministry announced a fresh partnership with the United States, channeling up to $20 million (£15 million) to train and equip its security forces for the joint fight against drug smuggling.
The agreement represents a significant thaw in relations after the 2008 expulsion of the DEA by former President Evo Morales. Bolivia has now joined the Shield of the Americas, the US‑led security initiative, under the new centrist leadership of President Rodrigo Paz.
The deal aims to strengthen the institutions responsible for public security, criminal investigations and organised crime prevention. AFP reports that the US embassy confirmed its commitment to provide training, equipment and supplementary support.
Bolivia’s foreign affairs ministry stressed that the agreement would improve the effectiveness of forces tasked with combating drug trafficking and other criminal networks.
The signing took place less than two weeks after the election of new defence minister Ernesto Justiniano, a former “drug czar.” In March, President Paz attended the inaugural Shield of the Americas summit in Florida, hosted by former President Donald Trump.
Regional allies expressed support for President Paz amid growing anti‑government protests, issuing a joint statement on 21 May that the “deep concern” over road‑blockades aimed at destabilising the democratically elected government put the coalition “on the government's side.”
The overarching goal of the alliance remains the combat of narco‑terrorism. U.S. officials have instructed forces to target vessels suspected of smuggling, a policy that has sparked debate over its compliance with international law.
More than 200 people have been killed in U.S. strikes on vessels in the Caribbean and Pacific since early September, with some experts questioning the legal basis of those actions.
In the most recent strike, U.S. Southern Command reported that one person aboard a vessel suspected of drug trafficking was killed, with two survivors.
With Bolivia’s renewed collaboration with the DEA after a 17‑year absence, the government claims the partnership is part of a broader, multinational strategy to combat organised crime, including coca plant eradication programs.
