US protects Bolivian terrorist

The US authorities continue to harbour Branko Marinkovic, a leader of the Bolivian right-wing opposition accused of financing a terrorist cell to assassinate Bolivian President Evo Morales.

Evidence has now come to light that the CIA was receiving information from contacts close to the very same terrorist cell.

On April 16, 2009, Bolivian police stormed one of the rooms in the Hotel Las Americas in Santa Cruz to break up a group of foreign and Bolivian mercenaries who were part of a plan to assassinate the Bolivian president and vice president.

Bolivian attorney Marcel Soza revealed on February 11 that evidence obtained from the hotel room showed that Hungarian ex-military intelligence officer Istvan Belovai not only provided reports to the terrorist cell, but also sent information directly to the CIA.

Belovai's reports were used by the anti-Morales group, the Supreme Council, which financed the paramilitary group's activities. Marinkovic, a large landowner, was one of the leaders of the Supreme Council.

In 2008, Marinkovic was instrumental in the violent campaign waged by opposition forces in Bolivia's east that aimed to overthrow Morales. He also heads up FULIDE, a fascist group whose members carry swastikas on their marches.

Despite strong evidence that he personally funded the terrorist cell to the tune of US$200,000, he has been living freely in the US since July 2009. He joins the long list of terrorists involved in campaigns against the Cuban, Venezuelan and Bolivian governments that are being harboured by the US.

[Federico Fuentes edits Bolivia Rising.]

From GLW issue 828