Bolivia signs $20m deal with US to fight drug trafficking
Bolivia says it has signed a new co-operation deal with the United States to combat drug trafficking, in a move officials describe as part of a thaw in relations between the two countries. The foreign ministry said the agreement will see Washington provide up to $20m to train and equip Bolivian forces. It was signed in La Paz and is aimed at strengthening institutions involved in public security, criminal investigations and the fight against organised crime.
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The ministry said the deal comes less than two weeks after President Rodrigo Paz named Ernesto Justiniano, previously described as the country's "drug czar", as defence minister. The agreement was also confirmed by the US embassy, which said the United States would work closely with the Bolivian government to provide training, equipment and other support. Bolivia has also joined the US-led Shield of the Americas security initiative, which Paz attended at its inaugural summit in Florida in March.
The announcement is significant because it marks a further shift in a relationship that had been strained for years. Bolivia expelled the US Drug Enforcement Administration 18 years ago under then-president Evo Morales, and the country remains the world's third-largest producer of coca, the raw material used to make cocaine. The new deal suggests both governments are now seeking closer co-operation on anti-narcotics policy and wider security matters.
The timing also matters domestically. Paz is facing a wave of anti-government protests, and the countries in the Shield of the Americas alliance recently issued a joint statement backing his government and expressing concern about road blockades and demonstrations they said were aimed at destabilising the constitutional order. The coalition's main stated focus is combating what it calls narco-terrorism, linking Bolivia's internal security challenges with a broader regional agenda.
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The agreement comes as the United States under President Donald Trump has intensified its approach to suspected drug trafficking routes in the wider hemisphere. The supporting material also notes that US forces have carried out strikes on vessels alleged to be smuggling illicit substances, prompting legal criticism from some experts. While that wider campaign is separate from the Bolivia deal, it underlines the importance Washington is placing on anti-drug operations across the region.
What remains unclear is how quickly the funding will be disbursed, what equipment will be supplied and how the training will be organised. It is also not yet clear how the agreement will affect Bolivia's domestic politics or its long-term security policy. The key question now is whether the new co-operation can produce measurable results against drug trafficking while avoiding further political tension at home.
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