Events

Ambassador Goldberg and Foreign Minister David Coquehuanca sign the Bilateral Counter-Narcotics Agreement

The Governments of Bolivia and of the United States signed today the Bilateral Counternarcotics Agreement that covers joint programs in eradication and interdiction.

The Agreement is signed annually by both Governments to strengthen bilateral relations, friendship, and cooperation. At the same time, the Agreement acknowledges that the problem of illegal drugs represents a serious threat to the health and security of the people of both countries.

This Agreement establishes the funding levels that the United States grants to Bolivia to carry out the fight against drugs in the areas of interdiction, eradication and demand reduction, within the conceptual framework of shared responsibility. The support provided to the program of Integrated Alternative Development is provided separately.

Some important points of the Bilateral Agreement are:

• The Agreement establishes and/or strengthens the already existing mechanisms to fight against drug trafficking, terrorism, and other organized crimes.

• This Agreement establishes the funding levels by the United States to Bolivia for the maintenance or improvement of basic infrastructure, the provision of a broad range of logistical support, drug-consumption-related healthcare, and other important aspects destined to support the units in charge of counternarcotics activities.

• The amount of this year’s U.S. funding is $33,820,000.

• Interdiction: This component provides for strengthening the special counternarcotics police (FELCN), the counternarcotics rural patrolling police force (UMOPAR), and other specialized units in charge of interdiction activities, including the Garras del Valor training center.

• Eradication: includes support to the units of the Joint Task Force, the General Directorate for the Integrated Coca Development in Production Zones (DIGPROCOCA), and the Ecological Police.

• The Agreement also authorizes an amount to support state policies for demand reduction, mainly by highlighting prevention and education.

• The Agreement includes assistance programs for border and transportation control, as well as several logistical support programs for counternarcotics units.

(Amb. Speech in Spanish)