Argentina Military Aid For Bolivia Coup Greater Than Initially Thought
Investigations carried out by Argentina’s Security Ministry have revealed that the military aid sent from Mauricio Macri’s government to the Añez regime was much larger than what had been published by Bolivia’s Foreign Ministry.
On Thursday, Bolivia’s Foreign Minister Rogelio Mayta revealed that Argentina, under former President Mauricio Macri, had sent large shipments of military aid to Bolivia during the first days of the coup, to help the new regime to repress protests and consolidate their grip on power. The aid included 40,000 bullets as well as tear gas canisters and grenades.
Argentina’s Security Ministry has investigated its own records and published a report to the media. The report, released today, shows that the National Agency for Controlled Materials (ANMAC) authorized, on November 11th (one day after the coup), the shipment of semi-automatic pistols, shotguns, automatic carbines, machine guns, rifles, bulletproof vests, ballistic helmets, and shields; night vision goggles and more than 8,000 munitions of different calibers.
The report also shows the presence of two agents from the Federal Intelligence Agency (AFI) of Argentina, during the coup. One in the city of La Paz, and one in the city of Santa Cruz. Investigations will be opened into the nature of the reports they were sending back to Buenos Aires.
The Minister at the time was Patricia Bullrich, Argentina’s principal opposition leader today.
In response, Evo Morales has warned that the Americas is living through an ‘Operation Condor 2’, in reference to US-backed operation in the 70s and 80s of cross border cooperation between coup regimes in order to repress social protest and kill known leftists.
“The delivery of military aid from the former Presidents of Ecuador, Moreno, and Macri from Argentina, the letter of gratitude from General Terceros, are all further evidence that a coup took place in Bolivia. That, along with the assassination in Haiti, by ex-Colombian military personnel, prove the execution of a second Plan Cóndor under the direction of the US.”
“We alert the social movements of Latin America about Operation Condor 2 and the need to strengthen the fight for peace with social justice and democracy, to preserve the sovereignty and independence of our states and the dignity of the people” said Evo Morales today via official channels.