| *Miguel Alvarez Delgado | 1977 Joint Operations | Links to drug trafficking: Accused in the "Narconavales" case of cashing checks that came from a drug-trafficking ring. The proceedings against him were stayed in 1997. (RAI) |
| Luis Arce Gómez | 1958, Communications Officer 1958, Tactical Officer, Radio Repair |
Armed insurrection (convicted), 1980: With Garcia
Meza Tejada, Arce Gómez plotted and executed a bloody
coup, which occurred on July 17, 1980. (Garcia Meza became
"president" and Arce Gómez minister of the Interior.) Prior
to the coup, Arce Gómez was in charge of assembling a
paramilitary force to overthrow the government. (One of his recruits
was Klaus Barbie.) (AW:BTR) Drug trafficking (convicted), 1989: Arce Gómez, who was declared a fugitive from justice in 1986, was captured by Bolivian police in 1989. With the approval of the Bolivian government, he was handed over to the United States and is currently serving a 30-year sentence in Miami for drug-trafficking. (AW:BTR) |
| GEN Hugo Banzer Suárez | 1956, Motor Officer Course 1988, SOA "Hall of Fame" 1989, Guest Speaker |
Military dictator, 1971-78: Achieved power by means of a violent coup. Developed the "Banzer Plan" to silence outspoken members of the Church; the plan became a blueprint for repression throughout Latin America. Also known for sheltering Nazi war criminal Klaus Barbie, "The Butcher of Lyons," and for supporting and collaborating with Garcia Meza's regime. (AJC, 10/30/88; AW:BTR) |
| *Grover Bilbao Terrazas | 1967, Cadet Course | Drug-trafficking: Accused and sentenced in the "Narcoavion" case (1995) as a drug supplier. (RAI) |
| *Luis Caballero Tirado | 1993, Curso de Comando y Estado Mayor (0-3) 1990, Psychological Operations O-22 1990, Operaciones de Estado Mayor |
Mistreatment of prisoners: When the president of the Human Rights Commission visited the headquarters of UMOPAR (Mobil Rural Patrol Units), he discovered 93 detainees, including two minors and one prisoners with fractured ribs and a punctured lung from being kicked by UMOPAR agents under Caballeros' command. Caballero has also publicly admitted that 40% of the operations carried out under his command involve human rights violations such as excessive use of force. (VDHL) |
| *Isaac Chavarria Diez de Medina | 1968 Cadet Course 1970 Officer Gen. Supply |
Drug-trafficking: Primary defendant in the "Narcovinculos" case (1994-6). Died in 1995 in a La Paz jail due to lack of medical attention. |
| Cpt Gonzalo Cuellar Justinio | 1990, General Staff Officer Course | Mistreatment of prisoners, 1990: Cuellar Justinio has been charged with illegal detention of prisoners, assault, soliciting pay-offs in exchange for releases, forcing prisoners to sign false confessions. (AIN) |
| GEN Mario Escobari Guerra | 1959, Engineer Officer Course | Issuing unconstitutional decrees (convicted) in cooperation with armed insurrection, 1980: Convicted in April 1993 for signing unconstitutional decrees in cooperation with Garcia Meza. (BSC) |
| *Carlos Fernandez Gonzalez | 1961, Military Intelligence | Links to drug trafficking: Fernandez Gonzalez was relieved of his position as Undersecretary of the Interior under the government of Lidia Gueiler (1980) due to concrete evidence of his links to drug trafficking. Later he regained his image and was named President of the National Council for the Struggle Against Drug-Trafficking. However, in 1983, he was accused of involvement with the disappearance of 150 kilos of cocaine. He also was relieved of his duties as head of the Special Security Forces of the Ministry of Interior after he was accused of covering up drug-trafficking. (RAI) |
| Ruben Dario Guzmán Hurtado | 1970, Small Unit Warfare | Issuing unconstitutional decrees and fraud (convicted) in cooperation with armed insurrection, 1980: Guzmán Hurtado was sentenced in April 1993 on charges related to Garcia Meza's 1980 coup. (BSC) |
| CPT Carlos Helguero Larrea | 1970, Small Unit Warfare | Armed insurrection (implicated), 1980: Implicated in cases of murder committed in association with the Garcia Meza coup in 1980. (BSC) |
| *Pablo Oswaldo Justiniano Vaca | 1986, Comando y Estado Mayor | Drug trafficking: Primary defendant in the "Narconavales" case, accused of running a drug trafficking ring in the Navy since 1975. Detained in 1995. Also implicated in the exchange of brazilian tin for cocaine in 1989. |
| *Freddy Lopez Arispe | 1962, Infantry Officer Course | Illegal arms trafficking: Detained in 1993 on charges of arms trafficking to the ex-Yugoslavia. (RAI) |
| CPT Tito Montaño Belzu | 1970, Small Unit Warfare | Armed Insurrection, murder (convicted), 1980: Paramilitarist Montaño Belzu was sentenced (on April 21, 1993) to 30 years in prison for murder, and 20 years for genocide, in connection with Garcia Meza's bloody 1980 coup. (AW:BTR) |
| SGT Franz Pizarro Solano | 1979, Commando Operations | Murder of Marcelo Quiroga Santa Cruz: On May 2, 1998, Interpol began an international search for Pizarro Solano, who is suspected of assasinating the Bolivian socialist leader and ex-minister Marcelo Quiroga Santa Cruz on July 17, 1980 during Garcia Meza's coup. Pizarro Solano is reported to have been living and working in Japan for years. (Clarín, May 3, 1998) |
| COL Avelino Rivero Parada | 1977, Joint Operations | Issuing unconstitutional decrees (convicted) in cooperation with armed insurrection, 1980: Convicted in April 1993 for signing unconstitutional cooperation with Garcia Meza - Including annulments of democratic elections, abnegation of trade union rights, purging university teaching and administrative staff, illegal purchases of land, vehicles and aircraft for the armed forces, and dismissal and replacement of the Bolivian Supreme Court. Rivero Parada was minister of public health and social security under Garcia Meza. (AW:BTR) |
| Ltc Freddy Quiroga-Reque | 1980, Joint Operations Course | Armed insurrection, murder (convicted), 1980: Sentenced (on April 21, 1993) to 30 years in prison for murder in connection with Garcia Meza's bloody 1980 coup (AW:BTR, BSC) |
| Vice-Admiral Alberto Saenz Klinsky | 1973, "O-4" | Minister under Garcia Meza: Saenz Klinsky was a member of Garcia Meza's second cabinet, but was never formally charged with issuing unconstitutional decrees. (AW:BTR) |
| COL Rogelio Vargas | 1990, General Staff Officer Course | Mistreatment of prisoners, 1990: 240 prisoners were beaten, denied food, forced to stay on their knees for hours on November 7, 1990. (AIN) |
| GEN Guido Vildoso Calderón | 1962, Infantry Weapons and Tactics | Military dictator, 1982: Achieved power by military appointment. (WP, 5/19/94) |
Information researched by Vicky Imerman and Heather Dean.