Drivers completed strike to demand higher rates 
Jornada, La Paz, February 28, 2011 -- The drivers' union met Friday in Bolivia a partial strike to demand rate increases to offset the rising cost of living, while the government of Evo Morales kept his rejection of the claim and invited the union to dialogue.
Japan: not likely to install foundations in Bolivia
La Razón, La Paz, February 28, 2011 -- Even if you are interested in Bolivian metallic zinc, Japan ruled the installation of the ore smelters in the country, because there is no industrial product demand on the domestic market.
René Sanabria had an international arrest warrant
El Mundo, Santa Cruz, February 28, 2011 -- Retired Gen. René Sanabria, captured last Friday for drug trafficking in Panama and later sent to Miami - United States (U.S.), had an international arrest warrant, said a Panamanian police spokesman, reports AFP.
Bolivia asks Japan not to lose time to seal an alliance on lithium
Jornada, La Paz, February 28, 2011 -- Japan on Friday urged Bolivia to lose no time to define a partnership to mine the reserves of lithium in the Salar de Uyuni, at the end of a seminar in which he clarified that this Andean country is able to give the jump for the manufacture of electric cars.
Increased activity of drug trafficking in Bolivia affects image of the Government
El Diario, La Paz, March 01, 2011 -- The capture in Panama of a retired police general, René Sanabria, a former official of the Ministry of Government by the Centre for Intelligence and Information Generation, confirms that the drug trafficking networks embedded in high levels of police and government, as stated by the former deputy minister of Social Defense, Ernesto Justiniano. Meanwhile, from Panama presented the indictment for drug trafficking, adding to the DEA that qualifies the retired general as leader of an international network of dealers.
Former general accused of drug trafficking prefers silence
El Mundo, Santa Cruz, March 01, 2011 -- A report from the international news agency The Associated Press (AP) reports that the former Bolivian general René Sanabria, a former counter-narcotics officer facing drug charges in U.S. yesterday asked the authorities to respect his right to remain silent and that any contact would be made through his lawyer.
Sanabria accused of drug trafficking by the U.S. and he is silent
La Razón, La Paz, March 01, 2011 -- The State of Florida, the U.S. Federal Government, and the DEA accused former and current Bolivian anti-narcotics chief intelligence officer, General René Sanabria, and three other compatriots for the crime of drug trafficking yesterday in Miami. Sanabria filed for silence.
The MAS party calls dissidents to reconciliation
La Razón, La Paz, March 01, 2011 -- The MAS has opened a door to reconciliation for dissidents, especially those who left the Movement Without Fear (MSM) party, and return to their party roots. The party of Juan del Granado (from MSM) downplayed the strategy and advised his former ally to worry about new party members unhappy with the MAS.
Bolivia exports grow 13%
Guatemala, Prensa Libre, Februray 28, 2011 -- Argentine exports to Venezuela grew 13 percent in 2010 over the previous year, after the United States suspend the tariff preferences for Bolivian exports.
Landslide leaves 800 families homeless
Guatemala, Siglo XXI, February 28, 2011 -- Approximately 800 Bolivian families left homeless by the collapse of 400 houses in La Paz because of heavy rains, but there were no reports of casualties, said the mayor, Luis Revilla.
Bolivian Vice-President Extols Work of Cuban Doctors in Bolivia
Cuban News Agency, March 2, 2011 -- During a ceremony to mark the fifth anniversary of this brigade in the Andean nation, Garcia noted that the Cuban doctors have done their best to help others without asking for anything in return, Prensa Latina news agency reports.
Evo Morales bows to Bolivian people power
Guardian.co.uk, March 2, 2011 -- From across North Africa to Wisconsin, activists are navigating a new terrain of global protest and relationships with their governments. Whether in ousting old tyrants or dealing with new allies in office, the example of Bolivia holds many lessons for social movements. An illustrative dynamic is now unfolding in this Andean country where the movements hold sway over the government palace, and the leftist President Evo Morales says he "governs by obeying the people". But sometimes, the people don't give him any other choice.
UN narcotics body rewards Colombia's drug war efforts
BBC, March 2, 2011 -- The International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) has dropped Colombia from its list of countries requiring special observation.
Bolivia-Argentina gas pipeline set to start in May: YPFB source
Platts, February 28, 2011 -- Bolivia plans to start delivering natural gas to Argentina over a new pipeline in May, a source at Bolivian state YPFB said Monday.
Former head of Bolivia's drugs police is sent to U.S. to face cocaine trafficking charges
Mail Online, February 28, 2011 -- The former head of Bolivia's counter-narcotics police has been arrested in Panama and sent to the U.S. to face charges he ran a cocaine trafficking ring.
Soaring Food Prices Hit Poor Countries, Spur Farmers
| NPR, February 28, 2011 -- Sharp increases in food prices helped spark the political upheaval gripping northern Africa and the Middle East. Bad weather in key growing regions was among a confluence of factors driving prices to record levels, a U.N. analyst says. But the price spikes are giving U.S. farmers an incentive to boost production. |  |
Top Bolivian Official Is Arrested and Sent to U.S. on Drug Charges
The New York Times (AP), February 27, 2011 -- A senior Interior Ministry official who recently headed Bolivia's counternarcotics police has been arrested in Panama and sent to the United States to face charges that he ran a cocaine trafficking ring.
Government says it will be tough on drug trafficking
El Mundo, Santa Cruz, March 2, 2011 -- The national government said yesterday that it will not shrink at facing drug trafficking, corruption and other crimes that bring down the nation, contrary to the attitude of previous administrations.
Drug Intelligence Case annihilates Sanabria
Los Tiempos, Cochabamba, March 2, 2011 -- Deputy Minister of Social Defense and Controlled Substances, Felipe Caceres, reported yesterday that 15 members of the Centre for Intelligence and Information Generation (Cegein), five are in prison and the other 10, under investigation in the National Police, bringing the Cegein, created on February 10, 2010, was disrupted.
They say that the U.S. did not warn Sanabria
La Razón, La Paz, March 2, 2011 -- Deputy Minister of Social Defence, Felipe Caceres, said yesterday that the government received no information, or Interpol or diplomatic channels, on the arrest warrant for General René Sanabria.
Eleven Bolivians arrested in Spain for drugs
La Razón, La Paz, March 2, 2011 -- The National Police stations of Albacete and Hellin in Spain arrested 20 people from Bolivia for smuggling cocaine in this country, said Europa Press agency yesterday. The drug ring operated since 2009.
Ex-Bolivian top cop pleads innocent in drug case
The Miami Herald, March 3, 2011 -- Bolivia's former top counternarcotics officer pleaded not guilty Wednesday to U.S. drug trafficking charges in which prosecutors claim he accepted thousands of dollars from undercover Drug Enforcement Administration agents in return for protection of shipments of cocaine bound for American ports.
Nations no longer tolerate US-backed dictators: Larijani
Tehran Times, March 3, 2011-- Majlis Speaker Ali Larijani has said that the awakened nations of the Arab world will no longer tolerate the dictators who are backed by the United States.
FM Terms Regional Uprisings Nations' Struggle against US Hegemony
Fars News Agency, March 3, 2011 -- Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi reiterated that the recent uprisings in the Middle-East and North Africa are rooted in the people's struggle to gain independence from Washington's hegemonic rule.
'Iran, Bolivia in unison over revolutions'
Press TV, March 3, 2011 -- Iranian Parliament (Majlis) Speaker Ali Larijani (R) shakes hands with his Bolivian counterpart Hector Arce in Tehran on March 2, 2011.
YPF, Petrobras sign gas-exploration deals with Bolivia
Fox News Latino, March 03, 2011 -- Brazilian state-controlled energy giant Petrobras and the Argentine unit of Spain's Repsol-YPF signed agreements Wednesday with Bolivian state energy firm YPFB to explore six areas of Bolivia's natural gas-rich southern region.
Smuggling Scandal Shakes Bolivia
The Wall Street Journal, March 2, 2011 -- A top Bolivian security official pled not guilty in a Miami federal court Wednesday on charges of conspiring to smuggle cocaine into the U.S., in a scandal that has rocked the government of Evo Morales and provoked a wide-ranging police crackdown.
Government wage increases by 10% and workers reject
La Prensa, La Paz, March 3, 2011 -- The wages of health workers, teachers and the staff of the Armed Forces and Police was increased by 10 percent, while the rest of the public was excluded from the benefit approved yesterday by the cabinet.
United Nations see Bolivia as a drug producing country
El Mundo, Santa Cruz, March 3, 2011 -- As a country that produces drugs, the United Nations comes to Bolivia. "Bolivia is a drug producing country such as Peru, Colombia, although to a lesser extent," said Cesar Guedes, representative of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.
INCB: During the Morales administration coca cultivation rose by 22%
Los Tiempos, Cochabamba, March 3, 2011 -- Since the incumbency of Evo Morales, coca cultivation in the country surplus expanded for the fourth consecutive year, totaling an increase of 22 percent between 2006 and 2009, according to the report of the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB), the UN agency responsible for combating drugs, urges the executive branch to reduce the illicit cultivation of coca and tackle ",in a decisive manner," drug trafficking.
Establishing second trial in Panama against "narcogeneral"
Jornada, La Paz, March 3, 2011 -- Sanabria and his alleged accomplice, Marcelo Juan Foronda Acero, held in Panama City last Thursday and delivered the same day to the United States. They will be accused in Panama of conspiracy to commit drug-related offenses, said the Central American country's anti-drug prosecutor, Javier Caraballo.
Colombia is winning the battle against drugs: JIFE
Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, El Universal, March 2, 2011 -- The decision was taken by the International Narcotics Control Board (JIFE) for 2011, which means a recognition of the work they have done to the national authorities the fight against drugs, but this does not imply that the organization will stop analyzing Colombia and its fight against drugs.
Subsidiary of Repsol and Petrobras sign agreement for Bolivian gas
A Folha de Sao Paulo (EFE), March 2, 2011 -- The Argentine YPF, a subsidiary of Spain's Repsol and Petrobras signed agreements Wednesday with the state-owned Yacimientos Petroliferos Fiscales Bolivianos (YPFB) to search for oil in six areas of the southern Andes.
Ex-drug chief arrested for drug trafficking in Bolivia
Lima, Generacción, March 01, 2011 -- Former Drug Task Force Commander of Bolivia, René Sanabria, was captured in Panama and will be tried in U.S. for alleged links to drug trafficking. The information minister confirmed the government of La Paz, Sacha Llorenti.
Diplomat to Bolivia fills lost decade'
Joongang Daily, March 5, 2011 -- Kim Hong-rak, the Korean ambassador to Bolivia, was named last year's "diplomat of the year" at a ceremony on Feb. 28.
Minister Renews Iran's Resolve to Boost Ties with Bolivia
Fars News Agency, March 4, 2011 -- Iranian Minister of Industries and Mines Ali Akbar Mehrabian in a meeting with the visiting Bolivian President of the Chamber of Deputies, Hector Arce, stressed that Tehran is resolved to further boost its ties with the Latin American state.
Myanmar, Bolivia, Venezuela fail in drugs fight: US
AFP, March 4, 2011 -- US President Barack Obama has determined that Myanmar, Bolivia and Venezuela "failed demonstrably" last year to fight the drugs trade, a new US government report said Thursday.
Bolivian President Evo Morales snubs US drugs agents
BBC, March 4, 2011 -- Bolivian President Evo Morales has refused to invite US anti-narcotics agents back into the country.
Obama: Bolivia, Burma, Venezuela Failed to Fight Drugs in 2010
Voice of America, March 3, 2011 -- The Obama administration has named Bolivia, Burma, and Venezuela as the three countries that he says "failed demonstrably" to fight drugs.
Inflation, shortages and scandals have caught up with Latin America's hitherto most popular leftist leader
The Economist, March 3, 2011 -- UNTIL last Christmas, Bolivia's Evo Morales seemed to be the strongest and most successful of Latin America's far-left presidents. His status as his country's first elected leader of indigenous descent, combined with a policy of funnelling the proceeds of higher taxes on the oil and gas industry to the poor majority in highland Bolivia, brought him enduring popularity. Having outwitted the opposition, centred in the eastern lowlands, he easily won a second term in 2009 with 64% of the vote.
Analysts: MAS loses force for re-election
El Diario, La Paz, March 4, 2011 -- The political analyst Jorge Lazarte, said yesterday that the Government, along with the implementation of Supreme Decree 748 and the discovery of persons involved in drug trafficking within the Ministry of Government has disgraced the image government and never causing a fall in the social and political support. Argued that the only way to recover would be admitting his relieve of duty voluntarily.
Chilean Carabineros investigated René Sanabria
Los Tiempos, Cochabamba, March 4, 2011 -- The investigation of covert Chilean Carabineros (OS-7) agents and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) were key to the downfall of former antidrug trafficking chief René Sanabria in Panama and the process that he is now following in the United States for drug trafficking, according to Chilean newspaper El Mercurio, yesterday.
Fastest acceleration of food prices in 20 years
La Razón, La Paz, March 4, 2011 -- Globally food prices rose in February for the eighth straight month in a row with increases in all basic food groups, except sugar. According to FAO, prices rose by 2.2 percent since January, a record high since 1990.
Evo rejects U.S. drug report that includes Bolivia
La Prensa, La Paz, March 4, 2011 -- President Evo Morales yesterday dismissed the U.S. report which criticized the fight against drugs in Bolivia and Venezuela and considers their efforts and international cooperation are insufficient, yesterday.
Bolivian former drug czar was recorded in Arica receiving bribe
Santiago, Chile, La Tercera, March 4, 2011 -- René Sanabria Oropeza, former head of Bolivia's drug and current director of Central Intelligence of the Ministry of Government (Cigein), personally supervised the preparations in Chile for the shipment of cocaine from the port of Arica to the United States.
Evo Morales confirms that the DEA would not return to Bolivia after U.S. criticism
Dominican Republic, El Nuevo Diario, March 4, 2011 -- Bolivian President Evo Morales, confirmed that the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency DEA will not operate in his country, coinciding with U.S. claims that Bolivia and Venezuela have "failed demonstrably "in combating drug trafficking.