Bolivia’s president announces national mourning after military base explosions kill seven

Bolivia will declare national mourning after explosions at a military base killed seven soldiers and left seven others missing, President Rodrigo Paz said Monday.

Paz visited the General Maintenance Center of the RAM-2 Bolívar Mechanized Artillery Regiment in Viacha, about 35 kilometers from La Paz, where he met families of the missing and people affected by the blasts. The Defense Ministry confirmed that the death toll rose to seven after rescuers found the body of Sergeant Freddy Mauro Quisbert Vega beneath the rubble.

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We are announcing national mourning that, beyond mourning, means not forgetting that we are all one family.

At least 84 people were injured. The explosions damaged the military facility and nearby homes, whose residents were temporarily evacuated. Paz said the authorities’ goal was to recover the remaining bodies and support their families. He also announced a review of the armed forces’ national system for handling explosive materials, including their receipt, storage, custody and disposal.

Defense Minister Ernesto Justiniano said a preliminary report identified two explosions. The first allegedly involved black powder from pyrotechnic material stored at the site. The second blast was considerably larger, and its technical cause had not been determined. The prosecutor’s office opened an investigation into suspected negligent homicide, negligent injuries and other damage.

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The goal is to recover