UNODC alerts to mafias and transnational organised crime in Bolivia
The director of operations at UNODC, Bo Mathiasen, confirmed the presence of mafias and transnational networks in Bolivia. The country is identified as a cocaine corridor and zone of illegal production.
UN warns: Bolivia operates as cocaine corridor with links to transnational crime
According to unitel.bo, Bo Mathiasen, director of the Operations Division of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), arrived in Bolivia and publicly warned about the gravity of organised crime in the country.
"Yes, obviously it exists, there are mafias and there are connections with transnational organised crime, they operate in Bolivia as well, we need to take that into account," Mathiasen declared in a brief contact with the press.
The official also pointed out that Bolivia "is a transit corridor for cocaine" and that there is evidence of drug production on its territory.
The visit took place following the presentation of the 23rd Report on Monitoring of Coca Crop Cultivation in Bolivia 2025, produced by UNODC itself, in which 14,400 hectares of illegal cultivation were recorded during that year.
Hours before his statements to the press, Mathiasen warned that Bolivia and the region face a complex scenario due to the expansion of drug trafficking networks and organised crime.
"There is a confluence of crimes among transnational groups, where they are not only engaged in drug trafficking, but also human trafficking and illegal gold mining, for example, and where they are engaged in money laundering," the director indicated.
In an interview with the state channel, Mathiasen added that these groups are involving State institutions in acts of corruption and destabilising Bolivian society.
Source: Google News BO — Crime