U.S. Revokes Visas for 26 Latin American Officials
The U.S. State Department revoked visas for 26 Latin American officials and businesspeople accused of corruption and narcotrafficking under a new administration policy.
The United States Department of State revoked the visas of 26 current and former officials and businesspeople from Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru on September 28. The action follows a new Trump administration policy intended to bar entry to individuals accused of narcotrafficking or undermining democratically elected governments through corruption.
Among those targeted are Colombian Senator Martha Peralta Epieyu and Bolivian Attorney General Roger Mariaca. The State Department specifically accused Mariaca of accepting bribes to facilitate narcotrafficking and assisting criminals in evading justice. State Department spokesman Thomas Pigott described the policy as a mechanism to allow the U.S. to act quickly in coordination with partners as evidence develops.
Mariaca rejected the accusations, characterizing the visa ban as interference in the prosecutorial independence of Bolivia. He suggested the move was an attempt to influence an investigation into Fernando Cerimedo, an Argentine political consultant with ties to the Trump administration. Senator Peralta Epieyu stated she would continue her work with tranquility and respect for institutions.
