Multinational workshop in La Paz: military personnel from six countries train against cartels
Delegations from Bolivia, Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay and the USA participated in a three-day workshop in La Paz on crowd control and organised crime.
Military forces from six nations meet in La Paz to combat transnational crime
According to eju.tv, military delegations and experts from Bolivia, Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay and the United States met for three days in La Paz to exchange experiences on crowd control, crisis management and response to transnational organised crime.
The meeting, held between 22 and 24 September, was called the first Multinational Workshop on Crowd Control and Crisis Management. It was organised by Bolivia's Ministry of Defence and Armed Forces, with the backing of the United States Embassy in the country.
Defence Minister Ernesto Justiniano stated through his official accounts that the activity sought to strengthen regional cooperation and improve shared procedures in the face of threats that cross borders.
"This is not merely an academic meeting. It is a practical exchange between professionals, which allows us to share experiences, strengthen capacities, improve procedures and build relationships of trust between our countries," Justiniano said.
The minister also clarified that the training was not aimed at the Bolivian population: "Preparing ourselves better does not mean preparing ourselves to confront our population." He also stated that Bolivia seeks a "serious and practical" international cooperation between sovereign countries.
The Armed Forces confirmed the presence of experts, speakers and delegations from the five invited countries, alongside Bolivian authorities and military commanders. According to the institutional publication, the workshop addressed crisis management and the maintenance of public order under principles of respect for the Constitution, democracy and human rights.
The United States representation was led by authorities from its Embassy in Bolivia, joined by military attachés and security and defence officials from the participating countries.
At the closing ceremony, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Víctor Hugo Balderrama, warned that the advance of organised crime demands coordination between military institutions in the region.
"As professional military institutions, we are called to respond with pragmatic cooperation, unified doctrine and effective interoperability," Balderrama said. The commander emphasised that crowd control activities and crisis response must be carried out through professional and proportional procedures.
After the workshop concluded, Joseph M. Humire, Deputy Assistant Secretary of War for Security Affairs of the Americas, posted a more direct assessment of the exercise's scope on X.
"United States Armed Forces are on Bolivian soil, training shoulder to shoulder with Bolivia's security forces and our partners of the Americas Coalition Against Cartels," Humire wrote.
The US official stated that 70 military personnel from six countries participated and summarised the objective with the phrase: "One mission: destroy the cartels." He added: "Real threats demand real training, and the United States and its A3C partners remain united to face any threat."
The figure of 70 participants and the expression "destroy the cartels" come exclusively from Humire's post on that social network.
Source: Google News BO — Crime