Bolivia's Morales irks US with bombing remarks

Lestat Claudius de Orleans

The U.S. Embassy in La Paz expressed concern on Thursday over a suggestion by Bolivian President Evo Morales that Washington was involved in hotel bombings that killed two people earlier this week.

Hours after a California man was arrested on Wednesday in connection with the bombings in La Paz, the leftist president said the attacks seemed politically motivated and questioned the U.S. commitment to fighting terrorism.

"There is a war against terrorism by the government of the United States and they send us North Americans to do terrorism in Bolivia," Morales, who took office on January 22 and regularly criticizes Washington, was quoted as saying by official news agency ABI.

"I urge the government to stop terrorists coming to kill innocents," he said in a speech in the city of Santa Cruz.

"We're concerned about remarks made by the president and we have expressed those concerns to the Bolivian government," a U.S. Embassy spokesman said, adding the Bush administration condemned the blasts that devastated the two budget hotels late on Tuesday and early on Wednesday.

Bolivian police arrested Lestat Claudius de Orleans y Montevideo of California and his girlfriend, Alda Ribeiro Acosta, of Uruguay after the bombings but said the motive for the attacks, which killed two Bolivian doctors, was unclear.

Local media reported the man had mental health problems. He asked at a court hearing in La Paz on Thursday to have a psychiatric examination before being transferred from police custody to a high-security prison as ordered by a judge.

Police said on Wednesday he had admitted to the bombings but he told the court he was innocent.

"I didn't do anything. I'm innocent and I want a doctor to give me a psychological and psychiatric test," he told the court, adding he was not a "religious fanatic" as some media reports speculated.

His girlfriend was remanded in custody in La Paz's women's prison.

Bolivian police have charged the couple with the two explosions and having used a type of plastic explosive that in Bolivia can only be used by the military.

"The legal process will last at least six months," said La Paz prosecutor Jorge Gutierrez.