which has taken control of the area containing the oil and gas, etc., and the money being funneled to them beefs up their effort to secede from the country, taking Bolivia's income with it.
Bush had Rumsfeld make arrangements with the military officers during the run-up to the last Presidential election to spirit Bolivia's shoulder-held anti-aircraft missiles, to make sure that when Morales, a leftist won, he wouldn't have access to them. They were taken to New Mexico. Here's a report:
US Denies Removal of Bolivian Missiles Was Secret
The United States denied Thursday that it removed anti-aircraft missiles from Bolivia without the knowledge of top officials in La Paz. The State Department says the operation was at the request of Bolivian authorities and in line with an Organization of American States resolution.
Officials here acknowledge that the United States removed a small number of MANPADS, man-portable air defense system, from Bolivia earlier this year as part of a broader effort to keep the shoulder launch missiles out of the hands of terrorists.
But they are denying charges from Bolivia, which figured in that country's presidential election campaign, that the operation was conducted without the knowledge of senior Bolivian officials.
Bolivian President-elect Evo Morales, the victor in last Sunday's election, has alleged that the 28 Chinese-made missiles were spirited out of the country in June in an operation he described as international intervention.
He says he will press for an investigation of the affair and is quoted as saying he would punish those responsible and evict U.S. military advisers from the country.
Questioned about the issue here, State Department Spokesman Sean McCormack said U.S. officials had worked with the Bolivian government on the removal of a small quantity of missiles he said were in a deteriorating condition.
He said the removal came at the request of the Bolivian government consistent with an O.A.S. resolution last June and said suggestions to the contrary are untrue:
"As for who was told in Bolivia about the action, you'll have to talk to the Bolivian government about that. As for these other allegations, it's just not true. This was done at the request of the Bolivian government, and it was done in partnership and consistent I would note with an Organization of American States resolution on the matter," he said.
More:
http://www.amazines.com/article_detail.cfm/74308?articleid=74308~~~~~~~~~~~~This happened behind the back of the President of Bolivia, done at a time to make sure the future President wouldn't be able to use these defense weapons. The former President was FURIOUS when he learned what had happened, as is Evo Morales.
Also, during the run-up to the Presidential election,
Bush had Rumsfeld notify the Bolivian military that if Evo Morales won, it looked likely that the U.S. would be sharply cutting back funds to the Bolivian military. This was an attempt to pressure them to work against Morales.
You'd have to assume they made good their threats, and reduced aid to Bolivia.
Bush DOES send money through agencies like N.E.D. and U.S.A.I.D., etc. to fund the right-wing, European-descended racists' opposition groups who intend to separate their part of the country from the rest of Bolivia.
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