Bolivian Border Drama

I have been lagging on updating this story, but do so now after just reading a very interesting story about Bolivia-US relations and learning of the current turmoil in Bolivia. This drama, so so so much bigger than my brief border hassles, includes a recent massive protest (20,000 strong) at the US Embassy in La Paz, which was supported by Moralez, the Bolivian president), the expulsion of the US Embassadors from both Venezuela and Bolivia this week (I write this on September 13), and the murderous riots breaking out in parts of Bolivia as I write this. Yikes. I worry that something more serious is to unfold in the coming weeks.



When I arrived at the Bolivian border at beginning of August (coincidentally, Bolivia's Independence Day), I received a lot of strife from the border agents, who said that because I was from the US (I was the only American on the bus and the only person hassled and made to pay to cross the border) I had to pay $100 at the border, provide them with 3 copies of my passport, show proof of my vaccinations, and provide a letter from someone in Bolivia saying that I was coming to visit them there. Talk about a sign that I was not wanted in their country! This completely floored me because I had heard nothing--even after working with at least 4 different travel agents in the 72 hours prior--about such a requirement upon reaching the border. When I asked them why I was being singled out, they only said, in broken English, "Your country gives us trouble, we give you trouble."

When I heard this, I assumed it meant that our country makes it difficult for Bolivians to enter the US, thus they would give me a hard time in a gesture of misdirected hostility. It was a frustrating few hours. After much difficulty, I ended up having to pay $155 (who knows the final destination of that extra $55 I was required to pay between the Peruvian and Bolivian border agents).

Now, as I am learning a bit more about the uneasy relations between the US and Bolivia, I realize their policies and hostility stem from a situation much more complex and dangerous than I had thought. It seems to me now that it didn't really much have to do with border relations at all, rather that these hurdles are a symbolic retaliation against the US presence and policies in Bolivia. According to the article below, Bolivia depends a great deal on US aid. However, the US is also seen as having an imperialistic influence on the nation, particularly in their efforts to curb coca production in Bolivia as part of the US War on Drugs (see my post on Coca to learn more about this plant's storied past).

More information about this issue to come...If you, my dear readers, are at all interested in this issue (which is a fascinating case story of US foreign relations and handling of the so-called War on Drugs), here is the article that has renewed my interest in US - Bolivian relations...
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/29/world/americas/29bolivia.html?_r=1&ref=americas&oref=slogin