Are you an Irish citizen in Bolivia at the moment? If so, are you experiencing negativity because of the Irish-Bolivian situation? If you are an Irish person considering visiting Bolivia, is the situation causing you to change your destination or feel apprehensive? Have you crossed any of the borders between Bolivia and other countries? If so, did you have any problems? Did you have any problems at the airports in Bolivia?
Hi,
Has any Irish crossed into Bolivia over land and had any problems considering the Political tit for tat between the two countries. Someone at home told me that the Bolivian government has accused the Irish government of sending that guy to kill the president. I cant find reports of it on the net but if its true should we just stay away for now??!! Really want to go to Bolivia, but if they want to shoot random people with little evidence to back it up, we're a bit weary of going! Or am i just getting my knickers in a twist over nothing?
Darren
Reply to this Hello Darren 😊
This is the first I have heard of the political tit for tat. I hope it isnt too bad because I have an Irish passport too and Bolivia is on my list of places to visit.
...the Bolivian government has accused the Irish government of sending that guy to kill the president.
Do they give a reason why they think the Irish government would do that? It seems ridiculous. We have enough political trouble in Ireland already, without looking for more of it in S. America. Where did you hear about this anyway, if there are no news reports about it on the internet?
Or am i just getting my knickers in a twist over nothing?
I sure hope so!
Mel
Reply to this Friends at home. Probably Chinese whispers! I don't know if you know but an Irish guy was murdered by the Bolivian police because they say he was going to atempt to kill their president. Its big news in Ireland. He was with a Romanian and Croat who were murdered as well. Irish Government want answers as they don't believe what the Bolivians are saying. His friends and family say it would have been completely unlike him to be involved in this sort of thing. He has no criminal record either. From the sounds of things he just got caught up in it. The Bolivians are telling the Irish to keep their noses out of their affairs. You can get news reports if you google Irish-Bolivian Situation!
if this guy is innocent, which he could be, it does make traveling to Bolivia to appealing!
Reply to this I didn't know they didn't like the Irish. I can say with certainty that they don't like Americans though. You have to be careful even if you're on an organized tour just crossing the border to see the salt flats. We've heard horror stories of tour operators swearing up and down that they don't need a visa and when they get over the border they suddenly owe $135! What does the tour operator care, he's already been paid.
Reply to this http://foreignaffairs.gov.ie/home/index.aspx?id=8538 this is a link to the Irish Dept of Foreign Affairs. The security status is highlighted as 'Exercise Caution' - point 2 on a 5 point scale. I don't for see any problems and we're going there regardless. one bad grape doesn't make a bad bunch or whatever the saying is!!!
Reply to this .....we're going there regardless.
If you have time, would you mind posting here after you go to Bolivia to let us know if you experience any problems there.
Reply to this No problem. I should be there witin 5 days. I hope!
Darren
Reply to this Hi Wanderly Wagon,
You are a brave man is all I can say - I´m currently in Bolivia with my family. I´m not Irish but it does say Northern Ireland somewhere on the front of my passport! if we´d known the Irish embassy alert level was 2 out of 5 we probably wouldn´t have risked it. On the Homeland Security Advisory System that is blue or GUARDED (general risk of terrorist attacks). On the plus side the Mexican Swine Flu Pandemic H1N1 hasn´t been recorded here yet so I guess it may be worth walking the tightrope. Just thank your lucky stars you're not a Hungarian Croat - They say that guy was the group´s leader!
On a serious political note; this problem stems from the election of Evo Morales as President. He is of course indigenous (Aymara) - the countries first ever - achieving the kind of electoral support never before seen here. The elite white land owners in Santa Cruz province, traditionally wield the most power and influence in Bolivia. In the past, if a president wasn´t to their liking, they´d see to it he was axed, or the country would revert to military rule - as was the case in Argentina and Chile in the 70´s.
Nowadays, however, military govt.s aren´t fashionable, so they are opting for a new tactic; autonomy. This is particularly curious because when the elites of Santa Cruz had the power to force autonomy the last 50 years; they didn´t want it because they controlled the entire country.
If they gain autonomy they can keep all their ¨own¨wealth and not have to share it with the Indigenous highlanders. This is particularly tasteless because historically the wealth from Potosi´s silver and La Paz´ tin was used in part to develop Santa Cruz.
So would sections of Santa Cruz´conservative elite pay mercenaries to assassinate socialist Evo Morales?
If you go to Santa Cruz you´ll probably be treated as a hero (but they´ll expect results)
Jason.
P.S. Kevin and Amarryn - All US Passport holders are required to pay $135US at the border. This has been the case since 2007. It is a policy of reciprocity - Bolivians are required to pay this sum if they visit the US... for the record; if you fly to Chile, US passport holders have to pay $132US and if you visit Brazil I think it is around $100US (both for the same reason).
Reply to this No problems whatsoever crossing into Bolivia from Peru a few days ago and no word of problems in either of two predominantly irish hostels i visited in La Paz
Reply to this Looks like I got my knickers in a twist. They Barely even looked at my passport! I´ve just finished the salt flats tour which was amazing. We´ll spend the next 10days or so in Bolivia so I´ll know more then.
Reply to this Looks like I got my knickers in a twist.
Cool! 😊
Things almost always look worse on the news reports than they do when actually in the places because of every incident being condensed into one page. The reality is that we dont see even nearly all that is going on politically in a country when we are actually in the country.
I used to read comments on the internet by people who were afraid to visit Ireland because of the ''troubles''. Those of us who have lived there most of our lives rarely if ever say anything of it, except when we switched on the evening news.
Reply to this Ditto Mell:
"Condensed into one page" and may we say a wee bit hyped?
see "silly season" : Ebola, SARS, Bird Flu - H5N1, Al Queda, African bees etal...
Three million people die every year from Malaria (over 8000 per day).
500,000 from FLU (1369 per day)
Four children die every minute from diarrhea.
I know what you´re thinking - these statitics, although shocking, don´t have me quaking in my boots, let alone move me to action. Perhaps because they haven´t been headline news for the past week.
For the record:
44,000 to 98,000 Americans die unnecessarily every year from medical mistakes made by health care professionals.
3 people die every year in the UK putting their socks on in the morning.
Reply to this Thats good news. Im planning on hiting Bolivia sometime soon and wouldnt be too keen on dealing with that type of crap. Although reports in the papaer yesterday say that Dwyer has been now linked to Neo-Nazi groups and pictures of him posing with guns etc have been printed in the Indo. He also had an SS tattoo on his arm. All sounds like something out of an adventure novel.
What about Colombia? Werent a few IRA guys implicated in trainig the FARC in how to use pipe bombs in that country a few years ago? Has there ever been any repurcussions for Irish people dealing with officialdom arising from that?
Some Irish seem to have a bit of a habit of getting in trouble in far off lands!
Lazy Al - what were the names of the hostels in La Paz.
Thanks
P
Reply to this Although reports in the papaer yesterday say that Dwyer has been now linked to Neo-Nazi groups and pictures of him posing with guns etc have been printed in the Indo. He also had an SS tattoo on his arm. All sounds like something out of an adventure novel.
He seems like a real nut case.
What about Colombia? Werent a few IRA guys implicated in trainig the FARC in how to use pipe bombs in that country a few years ago? Has there ever been any repurcussions for Irish people dealing with officialdom arising from that?
I havent heard about that one. Maybe those IRA guys were getting bored in N. Ireland now that there is a lot more peace these days.
...what were the names of the hostels in La Paz.
I read about an Irish guy who started a chain of hostels around S. America with somebody else. I forget the name of the hostels. Maybe the one LazyAl stayed in is one of them.
Reply to this A quick updadte while i'm still here. Aparently irish hostels and bars were raided at the time and had to remove any symbols of ireland to keep out of any further hassle. I'm leavging for peru tomorrow. You are always on gaurd here and its hard to relax. i wish i could spend more time as it is really cheap and has lots to offer.
Reply to this When the initial story came out in the irish media, his parents were interviewed and said how unlike him it was and how he couldn't have possibly been involved in something like that ...a little look at his CV would suggest otherwise.
I was actually in Colombia back in 2001 when those guys were taken in, aswell as here in Bolivia, when this current incident occured (a quirky coincidence that could have the authorities asking questions, if it were not for the fact that these three "IRA guys" and this Dwyer were ideologically about as far from each other as Castro and Le Pen).
It was a pretty crazy time in general, but again can't say if Irish tourists were singled out for special treatment. Not sure if people in Colombia would still remember these days.
Don't let it put you off, it is an awesome country.
P.S. Wanderly Wagon: are you on guard in particular in Bolivia, because you are irish, or in general?
Reply to this I wouldn't be on guard because I'm Irish to be honest. Bolivia is a great country with some really friendly people. It just seems you have to be on guard at all times and this I think I get from the likes of the Lonely Planet etc etc. Everyone I have talked to feels this way too. The demonstrations that are here in La Paz on a daily basis are very intimidating. I walked straight into it yesterday and fire works/bangers were going off all sides. I didn't know they were on so I was surprised. Police in riot gear!
Also ATM's guarded by an armed officer with a pump action shotgun! In Sucre I wouldn't go to some ATM's as it had a security guard beside it and we've all heard the stories of fake police so why would I! Police in the bus station telling us to watch our bags. Girl selling bus ticket telling us to hold on to day packs on the bus at all times. Wouldn't anyone be on guard?!
Bolivia is amazing and I would tell anyone to go there. Just be careful and try and stay one step ahead. If your on guard nothing will happen. Its just been on guard all the time is a pain in the a*se!
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