A police officer guards packages of cocaine shown to the media in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, in March 2010. (Photo: AP Photo)

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SECURITY · BOLIVIA

Bolivia’s antidrug effort has won public backing from the United States and 13 other governments in the Americas. The joint statement, released by the US State Department on 1 October and co-signed by Bolivia, follows the detention of the country’s attorney general.

The signatories praised what they called decisive action against drug trafficking and corruption. They urged Bolivia to keep investigating and prosecuting the networks involved, according to the text published by the State Department.

What the statement says

The governments “commend the Government of Bolivia” for confronting drug trafficking and corruption, the State Department text says. They encourage its “continued investigation and prosecution of these networks”.

The statement adds that illicit influence will no longer be tolerated in the hemisphere, “no matter how high it reaches”. It closes with the line: “Today, we stand firmly with Bolivia.”

Which forum and which countries

The statement came from the Shield of the Americas, a security alliance created at a presidential summit in Florida in March 2026. Costa Rica’s La Nación reported that it is led by the United States.

The State Department text lists 15 signatories: the United States, Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic. The rest are Ecuador, El Salvador, Guyana, Honduras, Panama, Paraguay, Peru and Trinidad and Tobago.

Bolivia co-signed, so 13 governments besides Washington and La Paz back its effort. Brazil, Mexico and Venezuela are not signatories.

Why it comes now

On 28 September the State Department accused Attorney General Roger Mariaca of taking bribes to protect drug traffickers. Police detained him at Viru Viru airport near Santa Cruz on 30 September. Details are in Bolivia Attorney General Mariaca Detained at Airport.

Santa Cruz chief prosecutor Alberto Zeballos and senior prosecutor Martín Irusta were also detained, Unitel reported. The three have filed a constitutional action for their release, covered in Bolivia’s Detained Attorney General Seeks Release.

The Public Prosecutor’s Office, which decides who is charged with crimes, has contested the detention. It says no formal arrest warrant existed and called the detention a kidnapping, Pura Noticia reported.

A closer partnership, with friction

The statement fits a wider shift under Paz. On 15 June Bolivia and the United States signed a cooperation deal worth up to US$20 million, Los Tiempos reported. It funds training, equipment and technical support.

On 5 June the alliance backed Paz against protests it said drug money financed, La Nación reported. Both statements back a government that restored security ties with Washington.

The risk is that foreign governments are endorsing an arrest before any court has ruled. Mariaca denies the accusations, and the prosecution service disputes the legality of his detention.

What Is Not Yet Known

It is unclear who will lead the prosecution service. Senior prosecutor Luis Montaño declared himself interim attorney general, but the government rejects this and says Congress must choose, Infobae and ABI reported.

It is also unclear whether the statement brings new cooperation or funding. The outcome of the court hearing on Mariaca’s release had not been reported by Friday afternoon.

Sources: US State Department (1 Oct 2026); Infobae (1 Oct 2026); ABI (1 Oct 2026); Unitel (2 Oct 2026); ABC Color (2 Oct 2026); Pura Noticia (2 Oct 2026); Los Tiempos (15 Jun 2026); La Nación (5 Jun 2026).

This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief