Bolivia officials say suspects arrested in possible plot to kill president

[Judi Lynn]

Bolivia officials say suspects arrested in possible plot to kill president



June 20, 2008 9:04 AM

LA PAZ, Bolivia (AP) - Bolivian officials said Friday they have arrested two men who may have planned to kill President Evo Morales.

Police said the two were arrested Thursday at the El Trompillo airport in the eastern city of Santa Cruz minutes before Morales was scheduled to arrive. They said one of the suspects carried a rifle with a telescopic sight and rounds of ammunition.

''The government has well-founded reasons to believe this involves an attempted assassination,'' said Sacha Llorenti, deputy minister of social movements, at a news conference.

Officials had not yet filed charges against the two men on Friday.

The Interior Ministry, in charge of security, said the two men were members of a conservative Santa Cruz youth group that has led protests against Morales' leftist policies.

More:
http://www.newspress.com/Top/Article/article.jsp?Section=WORLD&ID=565318580909245375

[Judi Lynn]

1. Assassination plot suspected in Bolivia

Assassination plot suspected in Bolivia
8 minutes ago

LA PAZ, Bolivia - Bolivian officials said Friday they have arrested two men who may have planned to kill President Evo Morales. But a local prosecutor quickly released them.

Police said the two were arrested Thursday at the El Trompillo airport in the eastern city of Santa Cruz minutes before Morales was scheduled to arrive. They said one of the suspects carried a rifle and rounds of ammunition.

"The government has well-founded reasons to believe this involves an attempted assassination," said Sacha Llorenti, deputy minister of social movements, at a news conference.

But the two had already gone free before Llorenti spoke. The Santa Cruz prosecutor's office released the men late Thursday for lack of evidence they had committed a crime, said Ruben Gamarra, vice minister of the interior.

"The prosecutor's decision is lamentable because one of them was carrying a Mauser rifle with a telescopic sight," he said.

More:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080620/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/bolivia_morales

[Judi Lynn]

2. Bolivian officials denounce plot to kill Morales.

Bolivian officials denounce plot to kill Morales.


STORY: Bolivian officials on Friday (June 20) criticized a prosecutor's
decision to release two men whom they believe had planned to assassinate
leftist President Evo Morales.
Police said the men were detained on Thursday at an airport in the
opposition bastion of Santa Cruz shortly before the Bolivian leader arrived
there. One of the men was carrying a rifle and ammunition, said Cabinet Chief
Juan Ramon Quintana.
"Just a few minutes prior to the arrival of President Evo Morales,
two subjects who belong to the Santa Cruz Youth Union were detained, one of
them, carrying a weapon with approximately 300 rounds of bullets. Obviously,
we believe that this is part of a very grave act that should be investigated
not only to determine who is behind this plot against the country's
president," said Vice Minister of Coordination of Social Movements, Sacha
Llorenti.
A prosecutor ordered the men freed hours after their arrest, saying
there was a lack of evidence.
Many in Santa Cruz, the country's wealthiest province, stiffly oppose
Morales' reforms, which include redistributing land to the poor and
overhauling the constitution.
The eastern region's conservative leaders are waging a campaign for
greater autonomy from the central government.
Last month, Santa Cruz residents voted overwhelmingly in a referendum
for the regional government to take greater control over local judicial and
economic matters.
Government officials said Morales, Bolivia's first indigenous
president, continued his visit to the area despite the arrests.

http://rtv.rtrlondon.co.uk/2008-06-20/3d38ea04.html

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Friday June 20th, 2008 / 22h48

DOW JONES NEWSWIRES
The Bolivian government believes security forces in the province of Santa Cruz have intercepted an assassination attempt against President Evo Morales by two members of a radical separatist group.

Government news agency ABI reported Friday that two members of Santa Cruz's Youth Union were detained Thursday at Santa Cruz's El Trompillo airport with a rifle mounted with a telescopic sight, shortly before Morales was due to arrive there.

"We are talking about a situation of extreme risk to the President of the Republic; everything points to the conclusion that we are talking about an attempted assassination," ABI quoted Sacha Llorenti, vice minister for Government Coordination with Social Movements, as saying.

According to the Associated Press, however, a local prosecutor quickly released the arrested pair on the grounds that there was no evidence they had committed a crime.

http://www.easybourse.com/bourse-actualite/marches/bolivia-government-says-it-foiled-assassination-bid-against-morales-475101

[magbana]

3. These bastards are determined

This is very distressing, but not surprising news. I know that Pres. Morales will continue to travel to the newly "autonomous" statesb, but I fear sooner or later the bad guys will succeed. I assume that the Cubans are working on his security detail -- perhaps his only chance of not being assassinated.

Thanks for this info, Judi.