The 15 governments that make up the Shield of the Americasamong them Panama, expressed their support for the administration of Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz for the actions taken against the drug trafficking, corruption and networks linked to these illicit activities.
The statement was released by the United States Department of State and signed by the governments of the United States, Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guyana, Honduras, Panama, Paraguay, Peru and Trinidad and Tobago.
The participating countries highlighted the recent police operations against current and former high-ranking officials allegedly involved in drug traffickingand encouraged the Bolivian authorities to continue with investigations and judicial proceedings against these networks.
According to the statement, these actions constitute a sign that the member governments of the Shield of the Americas will not tolerate the illicit influence of narcoterrorist networks in the region, regardless of the level of officials or people involved.
The statement also recalled the meeting of leaders of the Shield of the Americascelebrated the past September 22in which the 15 participating countries reaffirmed their commitment to supporting democratically elected governments and strengthening regional security.
The governments indicated that they maintain a joint position regarding what they describe as the corrosive influence of narcoterrorist networks in the hemisphere.
In this context, the countries of the mechanism expressly expressed their support for the Bolivian Government and urged it to maintain investigations and processes against structures linked to drug trafficking.
