LA PAZ – Bolivia refused to participate in the military maneuvers planned for November on the triple border of Brazil, Colombia, and Peru, with the presence of the United States Army, Defense Minister Reymi Ferreira said on Friday.
The exercises called America Unida (America United) will take place in the Brazilian state of Amazonia and, in addition to the mentioned countries, could involve troops from Argentina, Panama, and Canada.
‘America Unida’: U.S. Joins Military Exercise with Colombia, Peru and Brazil
‘The Armed Forces of Bolivia will not participate in such maneuvers,’ the head of Defense told reporters.
Ferreira added that his country received the invitation from Brazil for the exercises, but it did not accept it.
In total there will be 10 days of simulations directed from a multinational base in the city of Tabatinga, border with Leticia in Colombia, and Santa Rosa in Peru.
The maneuvers will take as reference the operation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) held in Hungary in 2015 and deployed 1,700 soldiers.
Political observers fear that the exercise will serve as a pretext for establishing a base in the region, as happened after NATO’s maneuvers in Hungary.
