Five Bolivian soldiers were killed when they were set on fire while participating in an operation against a gang of smugglers on the border with Argentina. The crimes shocked the country. The authorities speak of an "ambush" and former President Evo Morales called for the rapid clarification of the fact.
Army second lieutenants Yamil Argani and José María Romero, along with sergeants Braulio Pacaje, Vladimir Pacasi and Ruddy Medoza, lost their lives in a cruel and violent manner near Villamontes, in southern Bolivia, about 90 kilometers from the border with Argentina.
The cruelty began when the van in which the soldiers were traveling began chasing a vehicle loaded with illegal chemicals. In a ruthless act, the truck crashed and overturned off the road, where it became trapped in some sort of ditch.
Amid the confusion caused by the impact, the attackers disarmed the soldiers, doused them with gasoline and set them on fire. With boundless cruelty, they left the scene, leaving behind traces of gasoline bottles.
When they arrived at the scene, with the fait accompli, the first investigations analyzed the possibilities of a traffic accident. However, the Deputy Minister of the Fight against Smuggling, Daniel Vargas, dismissed this version and denounced it as a heinous crime.
Defense Minister Edmundo Novillo confirmed that the ambush and murder of the soldiers occurred as a result of an anti-smuggling operation, detailing that the uniformed men were attacked after seizing illegal merchandise.
In a message on social media, former President Evo Morales expressed himself about what happened. There he conveyed his condolences to the family and asked the authorities to quickly investigate and clarify the fact.
We regret the death of the five military uniformed personnel of the Strategic Command for Operations to Combat Smuggling in Villa Montes, Tarija and we express our condolences to the families of Yamil Argani Espinoza, José María Romero Chambi, Braulio Pacaje Mamani, Ruddy... pic.twitter.com/uqCkOvsjcS
— Evo Morales Ayma (@evoespueblo) January 10, 2024
"It was reported that the possibility that they may have been victims of an attack when they participated in intervention activities for the entry of illegal products into the country is being investigated," he said.
He continued: "We ask the authorities for a rapid investigation and clarification of this fact. In a state governed by the rule of law, we cannot accept any contemplation and protection of criminal organizations not only linked to smuggling, but also to drug trafficking."
Between January 1 and December 14 of last year, National Customs seized illegal merchandise valued at 670 million bolivianos (about 96.2 million dollars) in 15,910 control operations carried out throughout the country.
With information from agencies