- Title: BOLIVIA: Troops give military training to civilians
- Date: 6th August 2010
- Summary: LA PAZ, BOLIVIA (AUGUST 05, 2010) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) QUIROGA, SAYING: "The training of popular militia groups is clearly unconstitutional. It isn't the armed forces role but shows how the government keeps meddling with the armed forces, more and more frequently, including the public administration and national customs. It isn't legal, it isn't constitutional, but there are lots of things in this process that are not constitutional, so we don't take to much notice."
- Embargoed: 21st August 2010 13:00
- Keywords:
- Topics: Defence / Military,Population
- Reuters ID: LVA4J4YBA6V99NNQHT9VNZI48BHN
- Story Text: The Bolivian armed forces is looking to civilians and training them militia style in order to prepare the country to be "ready for anything" as one military commander put it.
Members of the Bolivian armed forces were in the Santa Cruz town of Montero on Wednesday (August 4) to train civilians, mostly women, in combat tactics including how to use a rifle and other technical skills.
About 60 civilians, mostly loyal to the government's Movement Towards Socialism or MAS party participated in the physical exercises and technical training given by military personnel in what has been dubbed "Patriot Training."
Army Ranger commander, Cornel Boris Checa said the project was designed to prepare the country and civilians to defend the state.
"The state has to be ready for anything. We haven't forgotten that Bolivia has important natural resources that we have to protect, and not just soldiers," Checa said.
Participants not only took on physical training, but also watched videos and used other technology to gain a technical understanding of combat.
A MAS alternate councilor for the city of Montero, Iver Rosado, supported the initiative which went beyond volunteer civilians and also reached out to local schools.
"If we are overwhelmed we need to be prepared to defend our country," Rosado said.
The program was not just in Montero but was installed throughout the country.
A commander of the Army's Eighth division, Cornel Ramiro Siles, said that at least 300 people had turned up for training in Cochabamba alone.
Sociologist, Jose Antonio Quiroga, said the campaign was likely to raise concerns.
"It is very worrisome news because it has been officially confirmed by the Commander of the Army's Eighth Division that they are training people from Social Movements throughout the country" Quiroga said.
Morales is a strong ally of socialist Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and Quiroga said he believed the plan was related to tensions in the region.
"This is obviously related to Venezuelan geopolitics. Both the Bolivian and Venezuelan governments are facing a very quick internal breakdown process and before this happens, obviously, the idea is to generate an international conflict and recruit militias in every country for a conflict with Colombia or the United States. [It is] perfectly in line with this crazy warmongering logic that we have been seeing," Quiroga added.
Checa confirmed that the idea was to spread and legitimize patriotism throughout society.
But Quiroga said the government was going too far in training the militias.
"The training of popular militia groups is clearly unconstitutional. It isn't the armed forces role but shows how the government keeps meddling with the armed forces, more and more frequently, including the public administration and national customs. It isn't legal, it isn't constitutional, but there are lots of things in this process that are not constitutional, so we don't take to much notice," added Quiroga.
Participants trained from 7am until 6pm and received combat training, weapons training, and theory. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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