US bans more than 60 Bolivian and Colombian officials over corruption and drug trafficking
Washington has prohibited entry to more than 60 former officials and authorities from Bolivia and Colombia. Those banned include judges, prosecutors, members of parliament and police chiefs.
More than 60 Bolivian and Colombian officials banned by US over corruption and drug trafficking
The US State Department announced on Thursday the prohibition of entry to more than 60 people from Bolivia and Colombia, as part of the Trump administration's campaign against corruption and drug trafficking on the continent, according to elnacional.com.py.
Restrictions on Colombia
The State Department restricted visas for 21 Colombian citizens who, according to the official statement, "through corruption or drug trafficking activities, undermine democratically elected governments in our hemisphere, regardless of their political affiliation".
Among those affected are the former president of Ecopetrol, Ricardo Roa; the mayor of Sincelejo, Yahir Acuña; and senator Wadith Alberto Manzur. The bans were celebrated on social media by Colombia's president, Abelardo de la Espriella.
Also included in the measure are deputy Karen Manrique, currently detained in Colombia as part of the corruption case involving the National Unit for Risk Management (UNGRD); former senators Julio Chagui and Liliana Esther Bita; and former deputy José Ignacio Mesa Betancurt.
Bolivia: judges, prosecutors and police commanders on the list
The office of Marco Rubio extended restrictions to another 40 people in Bolivia. Among them are former prosecutors Juan Lanchipa, Félix Balderas and Armando Rojas, as well as magistrate Julio César Porras, who presided over the Controlled Substances Unit in Santa Cruz.
Lanchipa and Porras were removed from their posts last Tuesday along with another 58 public ministry officials.
Also linked to Santa Cruz, the president of the Departmental Court of Justice, Aldo Quezada, and judge Julio Alba are also on the list of those banned. Both have already received formal resignation requests.
The president of the country's Supreme Court of Justice, Romer Saucedo, posted a message on social media in which he demanded that Quezada and Alba step down "and submit to the relevant investigation, without enjoying any privilege on account of their status as judicial officials".
Other Bolivian officials included in the ban
The Bolivian roster is completed by deputies Rafael López and Rolando Pacheco; the commander of the Tarija Police, Freddy Pereira; the director of the General Service for Personal Identification, Óscar Ortiz; the former general director of Migration, Katherine Calderón; and the former head of Airport Security of the Special Force to Combat Drug Trafficking (FELCN) at Viru Viru International Airport, Fernando Velasco.
The measure is part of a broader offensive by the Trump administration aimed at pressuring Latin American governments and judicial systems on matters of drug trafficking enforcement and institutional corruption.
Source: Europa Press / elnacional.com.py
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