Bolivia's deepening security crisis has become one of the first real-world tests of President Donald Trump's Shield of the Americas, the country's defense minister said, as security forces deploy to strategic locations and the government braces for renewed unrest.
«I believe this is one of the first real tests of whether Shield of the Americas can move from declarations to concrete results,» Bolivian Defense Minister Ernesto Justiniano said in an exclusive interview. He stressed, however, that Bolivia is not declaring that a coup attempt is underway. «I am not saying today that we have proven evidence of a specific operation currently underway to overthrow the President,» he said. «What we do have are very serious precedents and warning signs that justify preventive action.»
Trump launched Shield of the Americas at a March summit in Florida, bringing together governments across the Western Hemisphere to deepen economic and security cooperation, including efforts to combat transnational crime. The initiative was showcased again days ago, when Trump hosted leaders participating in the alliance on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly on Sept. 22. The White House has described it as an alliance focused on economic and national security in the Western Hemisphere.
Justiniano's comments come as President Rodrigo Paz's government tries to prevent a repeat of more than 50 days of road blockades earlier this year that caused shortages of food, fuel and medicine and deepened the country's economic crisis. On Sept. 17, Bolivia's Assembly approved a 90-day extension of the country's state of emergency, citing persistent risks of renewed blockades. Some opposition lawmakers and social groups criticized the measure, arguing that it failed to address the underlying causes of the unrest.
The defense minister confirmed that police and military forces have already been deployed preventively around the country. «There is a preventive deployment in different parts of the country, particularly along strategic routes, access points to major cities and locations considered sensitive for freedom of movement, supply lines and the protection of critical infrastructure,» he said. He declined to provide exact locations, troop numbers or unit movements, saying the scale of the deployment would change according to the level of risk.
A U.S. official said Washington remains committed to supporting Bolivia's democracy and the Paz administration as it rebuilds the country after what the official described as 20 years of failed socialist policies. «The Trump Administration will continue to stand with Bolivia as it works toward stability, security, and a better future for all Bolivians,» the official said.
A State Department spokesperson said the United States values its close partnership with Bolivia, a Shield of the Americas participant, to advance economic growth and address security challenges posed by corruption and transnational crime. «President Paz survived 53 days of blockades and violent attempts to undermine his presidency,» the spokesperson said. «As the country's elected leader, we support his administration's ongoing work to repair Bolivia's economy after more than 20 years of corrupt mismanagement by Evo Morales's Movement towards Socialism (MAS) party.»
The State Department also said visa restrictions announced Sept. 28 targeted Bolivian nationals whom Washington says are undermining «the security and governance progress President Paz and his administration are achieving,» adding that the actions «reinforce, not undercut, our cooperation.» The Trump administration revoked visas for 27 officials, former officials and relatives across Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru, according to the Associated Press. Among those affected was Bolivian Prosecutor General Roger Mariaca, whom the State Department accused of corruption and facilitating narcotrafficking. Mariaca has rejected the allegations.
Justiniano said Bolivia has formally requested the information underlying the U.S. action. «The case of Bolivia's Prosecutor General, Roger Mariaca, is particularly serious because the U.S. government has publicly made specific allegations involving corruption and the facilitation of drug trafficking,» he said. But the defense minister cautioned against drawing a direct connection between those affected by the visa restrictions and the current unrest. «It would be irresponsible for me to automatically state that everyone affected by those measures is connected to the current mobilizations,» Justiniano said. «We do not have public evidence that would justify that generalization.»
Asked what assistance Washington is providing in response to the current threat, Justiniano declined to say whether the U.S. was supplying operational intelligence or other support. He emphasized that Bolivia's response is calibrated to avoid overstating the danger. «The threat is serious enough for us to take preventive measures, but I do not want to portray a government that is under siege or weak,» he said. «There is one fundamental difference: Bolivia learned… We do not confuse legitimate social discontent with a threat to democracy. People may agree or disagree with our economic policies. They can march, protest and challenge the government. That is democracy. What is not democratic is trying to impose a decision through violence, indefinite blockades or threats against the constitutional order.»