Morales Accuses United States ofDamaging Bolivian Government’s Image

Bolivian President Evo Morales reported that the United States uses the Department of State to damage the image of his government and link it to drug trafficking.

“I think it is part of a U.S. strategy to say that here there is a ‘narco-government.’ They arrested General Sanabria, and two days later the INCB (International Narcotics Control Board) said that the reduction of coca leaf cultivation was not enough. Simultaneously, the Department of State said that their fight against drug trafficking failed,” said Morales.

Out of respect for the Aymara, there is clearly a connection between simultaneous reports, published by the INCB of the U.N. and the U.S., aimed at disqualifying Bolivia in its fight against drug trafficking. Morales considered the coincidence as a U.S. strategy to damage the multinational government, its credibility and its democracy.

At a news conference, the president responded to the criticism of the opposition against his government minister, Sacha Llorenti, for the arrest in Panama, on Feb. 24, of the former head (2007-2009) of the anti-drug force, René Sanabria, now indicted for drug trafficking in the United States.

Morales considers these actions to be intended to justify the return of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) to Bolivia, although he confirmed that while he is president, the agency will not enter the country. He criticized the Bolivian opposition, those who demand the return of the DEA, which was expelled in 2008 from Bolivia when Sanabria was anti-drug chief.

Sanabria’s argument was that the agency used the issue of drug trafficking to conspire against the government. That same year, Morales expelled U.S. Ambassador Philip Goldberg for intervening in Bolivia’s internal affairs by supporting the radical opponents of his government.

Morales also questioned why the United States highlights Colombia as the “best country in the fight against drug trafficking, in spite of it being one of the largest producers of coca leaf and with the highest cocaine exportation.” In the same vein, he used irony to say that if Bolivia authorizes the establishment of U.S. military bases on national territory, it will certainly not fall victim to attacks from that government.