Bolivia: Paz appoints new police leadership with mandate to combat narco-terrorism and organised crime
President Rodrigo Paz swore in interim commander Adrián Álvarez with a mandate to wage direct combat against drug trafficking and organised crime.
New senior command of the Bolivian Police receives order to combat narco-terrorism
The president of Bolivia, Rodrigo Paz, swore in the new interim senior command of the Bolivian Police on Monday 31 August at the former Government Palace in La Paz, according to reports from noticiazavaleta.info. Adrián Javier Álvarez Arismendi assumed the interim position of general commander following the resignation of Mirko Sokol from the head of the institution.
Along with Álvarez, Roger Roca Saavedra was designated as deputy general commander and chief of the Police General Staff, and Franz Cabrera as inspector general of the Police.
Priorities: drug trafficking, organised crime and corruption
During the ceremony, Paz demanded concrete results from the new command and called for a "direct and permanent" fight against organised crime, drug trafficking and what the president termed "narco-terrorism". The president extended priorities to combatting contraband and internal corruption.
Paz warned that there are still areas of the country without full state coverage and that criminal organisations cannot replace institutions or impose their own rules.
"Where there is crime, the state must exist and eliminate such crime. Where there is violence, there must be authority; where there is corruption, there must be investigation and punishment," the president declared at the ceremony.
The president also asked the new senior command to act with "hard work, integrity and results" and warned that there would be no tolerance for members of the security forces who use their position to obtain personal benefits or protect criminals.
Four priority fronts according to the new commander
Upon taking office, Álvarez stated that his first task would be to strengthen prevention and confront crime. According to Bolivia TV, the new commander identified four priority fronts: drug trafficking, organised crime, human trafficking and human smuggling, and money laundering. He also proposed combatting internal corruption and moving towards a police model based on merit and greater engagement with citizens.
Sokol's departure, marked by controversy
The change in the police hierarchy came following the resignation of Mirko Sokol, who considered his cycle at the head of the institution to be complete. His tenure was surrounded by controversy: in early August he stated that the capture of former president Evo Morales "is not a priority", despite standing arrest orders against him, a position that contrasted with the line of Paz's government.
Sokol also came under investigation after an audio recording was circulated in July in which he allegedly discussed a substantial collection taken up by senior officers to influence promotions and the succession of police command.
With the appointment of Álvarez, Rodrigo Paz's government seeks to open a new chapter in the Bolivian Police, with the fight against drug trafficking, organised crime and so-called "narco-terrorism" among the country's principal security priorities.
Source: Google News BO — La Paz