Bolivia's highest court has authorized the extradition of former anti-narcotics chief Maximiliano Dávila to the United States. He faces charges of conspiring to smuggle cocaine into the US and possessing machine guns. Dávila, who led Bolivia's anti-drug forces under ex-President Evo Morales, was indicted in New York in 2022. Bolivian authorities detained him that year as he allegedly attempted to flee the country. The extradition decision, which is final, marks a rare ruling against a high-ranking security official in Bolivia. Dávila continues to deny all charges against him.
The decision could impact Bolivia's political landscape, accentuating the rivalry between President Luis Arce and former President Morales. Although Morales' supporters claim no involvement with Dávila, Arce's allies view the ruling as potentially damaging to Morales' political aspirations. Morales, who became a controversial figure for dismissing the US ambassador and Drug Enforcement Administration in 2008, was named in speculative remarks by Bolivian Senator Virginia Velasco, suggesting implications for him in the revelations Dávila may make in a US court.
This development unfolds amid longstanding tensions between Bolivia and the US. An extradition treaty has existed since 1995, despite ongoing diplomatic strains. Dávila's defense attorney, Manolo Rojas, labeled the extradition a "serious violation of human rights" and intends to appeal to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. This is only the second extradition of a senior Bolivian security official to the US; the first was Col. Faustino Rico Toro in 1995. The US State Department has not commented on the case. (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP)
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