HomeNewsBriefBolivia Finalizing Shoot-down Law to Combat Drug Flights
BRIEF

Bolivia Finalizing Shoot-down Law to Combat Drug Flights

BOLIVIA / 31 AUG 2012 BY TRACEY KNOTT EN

Bolivia announced it is finalizing a new law that will allow the security forces to intercept drug trafficking flights, although such "shoot-down" strategies have been implemented in Bolivia before and didn't do much to radically change the dynamics of the drug trade. 

On August 27, the Bolivian Ministry of Defense announced that it was finalizing two new initiatives that will allow the government to intercept and shoot down planes suspected of drug trafficking, as well as helping the country fight other illicit smuggling operations such as weapons and contraband.

According to Los Tiempos, the initiatives include the creation of an "Integrated Aerial Defense System" comprised of a radar system for detecting planes, guard stations, and available airplanes for intercepting unauthorized aircraft. Once the drafts are finished, they will need to be submitted to Bolivia's Congress for approval.

In 2011, President Evo Morales first requested approval from Congress for a law permitting authorities to take down aircraft used in drug trafficking, stating at a public event, "These drug planes do not obey our instructions and continue flying; I feel it is important that we be provided with a law to take down those planes."

InSight Crime Analysis

Bolivia appears to be becoming an increasingly important transit and jump-off point for drug trafficking planes. In 2011, Bolivian authorities discovered ten “narco-planes” used to smuggle drugs between Bolivia, Brazil, and Paraguay. The UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) stated that this tri-state route was favored by traffickers.

The US implemented a shoot-down strategy in the Andean region through its "Air Bridge Denial Strategy" in the 1990s, though the move failed to produce notable results in preventing the flow of cocaine through the area. US officials admitted that their efforts at best inconvenienced traffickers, but did not impact the overall amount of cocaine leaving Bolivia and reaching the US.

Venezuela also recently adopted a “shoot-down” policy for suspected drug flights. However, according to a recent New York Times report, the Venezuelan border state of Apure is still plagued by aerial traffickers, partly because security forces have failed to do enough to destroy airstrips, or track the ones that are reported destroyed but are later retaken by drug traffickers. This suggests that instituting a "shoot-down" policy alone will not be enough to discourage drug flights.

share icon icon icon

Was this content helpful?

We want to sustain Latin America’s largest organized crime database, but in order to do so, we need resources.

DONATE

What are your thoughts? Click here to send InSight Crime your comments.

We encourage readers to copy and distribute our work for non-commercial purposes, with attribution to InSight Crime in the byline and links to the original at both the top and bottom of the article. Check the Creative Commons website for more details of how to share our work, and please send us an email if you use an article.

Tags

Was this content helpful?

We want to sustain Latin America’s largest organized crime database, but in order to do so, we need resources.

DONATE

Related Content

ARGENTINA / 7 MAR 2022

Paraguay has launched the biggest operation against cocaine trafficking and money laundering in its history, unleashing a scandal that has…

ARGENTINA / 8 FEB 2023

InSight Crime's 2022 Homicide Round-Up covers more countries than ever before, with a major expansion into nations of the Caribbean.

BOLIVIA / 1 APR 2022

Millions of young people around the world document their experiences at work, at school or with their friends on TikTok.

About InSight Crime

THE ORGANIZATION

All Eyes on Ecuador

2 JUN 2023

Our coverage of organized crime in Ecuador continues to be a valuable resource for international and local news outlets. Internationally, Reuters cited our 2022 Homicide Round-Up,…

WORK WITH US

Open Position: Social Media and Engagement Strategist

27 MAY 2023

InSight Crime is looking for a Social Media and Engagement Strategist who will be focused on maintaining and improving InSight Crime’s reputation and interaction with its audiences through publishing activities…

THE ORGANIZATION

Venezuela Coverage Receives Great Reception

27 MAY 2023

Several of InSight Crime’s most recent articles about Venezuela have been well received by regional media. Our article on Venezuela’s colectivos expanding beyond their political role to control access to…

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime's Chemical Precursor Report Continues

19 MAY 2023

For the second week in a row, our investigation into the flow of precursor chemicals for the manufacture of synthetic drugs in Mexico has been cited by multiple regional media…

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime’s Chemical Precursor Report Widely Cited

THE ORGANIZATION / 12 MAY 2023

We are proud to see that our recently published investigation into the supply chain of chemical precursors feeding Mexico’s synthetic drug production has been warmly received.