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- From: rich@pencil.cs.missouri.edu (Rich Winkel)
- Subject: BOLIVIA: PARLIAMENTARIANS DEMAND WITHDRAWAL OF US TROOPS
- Message-ID: <1992Jul30.004945.25184@mont.cs.missouri.edu>
- Followup-To: alt.activism.d
- Originator: rich@pencil.cs.missouri.edu
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- Organization: PACH
- Date: Thu, 30 Jul 1992 00:49:45 GMT
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- Lines: 121
-
- /** reg.samerica: 136.0 **/
- ** Topic: IPS: Bolivia - US Troops.... **
- ** Written 9:59 am Jul 24, 1992 by hrcoord in cdp:reg.samerica **
- From: Human Rights Coordinator <hrcoord>
- Subject: IPS: Bolivia - US Troops....
-
- /* Written 12:22 am Jul 24, 1992 by newsdesk in cdp:ips.englibrary */
- Copyright Inter Press Service 1992, all rights reserved. Permission to re-
- print within 7 days of original date only with permission from 'newsdesk'.
-
- Title: BOLIVIA: PARLIAMENTARIANS DEMAND WITHDRAWAL OF US TROOPS
-
- an inter press service feature
-
- by juan carlos rocha
-
- la paz, jul 21 (ips) -- members of parliament from bolivia's
- ruling and opposition parties have demanded the withdrawal of
- united states troops from santa ana, in the northern amazon
- province of beni, charging that their presence is illegal,
- unnecessary and an affront to national sovereignty.
-
- the demand follows earlier protests by popular organisations
- and trade unions, calling for the withdrawal of 122 us troops who
- arrived in bolivia at the beginning of july, together with a
- large consignment of unidentified equipment.
-
- the mysterious military cargo has provoked widespread
- speculation and suspicion about the real nature of the us
- presence in santa ana, considered bolivia's drug capital until
- two years ago.
-
- although it enjoyed a brief period of prosperity at the height
- of the drug boom, santa ana is now a fairly poor town with few
- amenities.
-
- according to the bolivian government and the us embassy in la
- paz, the 122 engineers of the us 37th airborne brigade based in
- north carolina, are in bolivia to carry out ''civil actions'',
- including the building of six classrooms, letrines, and sports
- facilities.
-
- however, mp gregorio lanza, an expert on anti-drug strategies,
- says most of the us soldiers in santa ana are specialists in the
- construction of airstrips.
-
- he added that these troops are sometimes deployed as transport
- parachutists in rapid response operations, and many participated
- in the us invasion of panama in 1989 and the gulf war in 1991.
-
- lanza, who spent one week in santa ana investigating the us
- activities, said the military presence is part of washington's
- low-intensity warfare strategy.
-
- he suggested that the real purpose of the mission was training
- and reconnaissance, and to build runways in the bolivian amazon
- in preparation for a possible future deployment of us combat
- troops in the region.
-
- however, the bolivian government insists that the us military
- presence is solely linked to bilateral agreements on cooperation.
-
- according to the us military, the current mission to bolivia
- cost approximately two million dollars, though the cost of the
- ''civic actions'' is calculted at only 100,000 dollars.
-
- parliamentarians who are critical of the us presence point out
- that the bolivian congress did not authorise the arrival of
- foreign troops on national territory, as required by national
- law. (more/ips)
- ----
-
-
- bolivia: parliamentarians (2)
-
- but the president of the chamber of deputies, gaston encinas,
- of the ruling left-wing revolutionary movement (mir), said on
- previous occasions congress had authorised the presence of us
- troops in the context of international agreements to fight
- drug-trafficking.
-
- this was denied by former foreign minister guillermo bedregal,
- of the opposition nationalist revolutionary movement, who said no
- such authorisation had ever been granted and stressed that the
- constitution requires specific congressional authorisation for
- foreign troops on bolivian territory.
-
- in this context, representatives of various political parties
- in congress have demanded the withdrawal of the us troops, and
- some have even suggested that they be expelled.
-
- according to ruling party mp walter gutierrez, the presence of
- us troops and officers of the us drug enforcement agency (dea)
- has provoked conflict in bolivia's amazon region. he said us
- troops should leave, now that the worst phase of the drugs war is
- over.
-
- for his part, former foreign minister bedregal said the us
- military presence is ''illegal'' called on the government to
- request the troops ''to abandon national territory.''
-
- alfonso alem, of the opposition free bolivian movement, said
- it ''has been proven that they (us troops) are here to engage in
- military and strategic exercises... in areas of possible future
- low or medium intensity conflict.''
-
- deputy lanza claimed that one day before his investigative
- commission - accompanied by bolivian military and government
- officials and journalists - visited santa ana, on july 15, us
- troops organised eight flights to remove military equipment from
- the area.
-
- according to lanza's investigations, between june 19 and 27, a
- total of 68 flights by us hercules transport planes brought
- 816,000 kilos of unspecified cargo into the area.
- (ends/ips/trd/jcr/sfi/cg)
- ----
-
-
- ** End of text from cdp:reg.samerica **
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