US Embassy Admits Spying on Bolivia

Feb 10

The US Embassy in Bolivia admitted on Sunday that one of its officials requested a US scholarship holder to spy on Cuban and Venezuelan citizens working on Bolivia.

A note from the US mission published by Bolivian press today confirms the denunciation made by student Alex Shaick, who revealed the proposal made to him by US official Vincent Cooper.

Cooper had similarly asked volunteers from the Peace Corps and Fulbright study program beneficiaries to provide data about their "contacts with citizens from certain countries."

According to the US Embassy, this representation never requested US volunteers or students to take part in intelligence activities in Bolivia.

However, Schaick said that during a meeting about security measures for his stay in Bolivia, Cooper asked him to report on the name and location of Venezuelan or Cuban cooperation workers.

"We know that they (Cubans and Venezuelans) are there, we only want information about them," Cooper said, as revealed by the US student.

Local analysts consider that US Ambassador Philip Goldberg, who is famous for his seditious role in Kosovo, must give an explanation about this in a meeting with the Bolivian government for his funding of irregular intelligence groups.

There are six Fullbright program beneficiaries and 130 Peace Corps volunteers currently in Bolivia. They were banned from making any comment to the press.