Bolivia and Chilean police chiefs meet in La Paz to coordinate fight against transnational crime

Bolivia and Chile are seeking to move their police cooperation beyond formal agreements and into joint operational work. Senior officials from both countries met in La Paz for the first Meeting of Senior Police Commands and Specialized Units, known as RAMPOL.

The meeting took place at Bolivia’s National Police Academy as the two countries focused on organized crime affecting their border region. The agenda was divided into four areas: Interpol issues, common crimes, environmental protection, and the fight against organized and transnational crime.

The gathering also carried a broader diplomatic dimension. Bolivia’s Foreign Minister Héctor Huanca met Chile’s consul general in La Paz, Roberto Ruiz Piracés, to discuss the bilateral agenda and preparations for an upcoming visit to Bolivia by Chilean President José Antonio Kast.

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Through this meeting, we are incorporating security as a key component of the bilateral relationship to transform political will into concrete cooperation. We seek to coordinate capabilities, share information and jointly confront threats that by their nature transcend our borders.

Roberto Ruiz said security should become a central part of bilateral relations. “Through this meeting, we are incorporating security as a key component of the bilateral relationship to transform political will into concrete cooperation,” he said. He added that the countries wanted to coordinate capabilities, share information, and confront threats that cross borders.

Chile’s police representatives stressed that cooperation should not depend on isolated emergencies. Eduardo Cerna, director of Chile’s Investigations Police, said coordination must be “permanent, planned, coordinated and sustained over time.” The resolutions adopted at the meeting draw on the Santiago Commitment against Organized Crime, an agreement initially signed by Chile, Argentina, Ecuador and Peru, which has gradually attracted other South American countries.

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Coordination with Bolivian institutions cannot be occasional or depend on the urgency of a case. It must be permanent, planned, coordinated and sustained over time.