Bolivian anti-drug forces suspected of selling info to drug dealers

Bolivia's President Evo Morales declared Monday that there were suspicions that certain elements within the country's anti-drug forces have been selling information to drug dealers.

Speaking during a celebration of the 28th birthday of the Special Antinarcotics Force (FELCN) in La Paz, he encouraged officers to denounce colleagues who may be hurting the fight against drugs.

Morales insisted that a process of self-control within the FELCN must begin to reveal the existence of "infiltrated elements" who sell information about operations fighting against organized drug dealers.

He also dwelt on the fact that Bolivia's war on drugs was a sovereign process that was no longer subject to the authority of international bodies, such as the World Bank or the International Monetary Fund.

He went on to decry the Bolivian justice system for not properly following up on the efforts of the FELCN, as it "often allowed the drug dealers apprehended in drug raids to easily go free".

"Commanders have reported to me that they often arrest drug dealers and turn them over to the justice system, only to see them freed within a week, before being arrested and freed again," he said.

The president praised the efforts made by the FELCN, particularly for strengthening Bolivia's fight against drug dealers. He also compared the entity's accomplishments favorably against those of countries that have given up their sovereignty by hosting American military bases. Endite