Bolivian Guerrillas Worry U.S.
(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) BUENOS AIRES, May 7. United States military experts are concerned about guerrillas south-east Bolivia, the “New York Times” news service reports.
They say they are getting clearer indications that guerrillas exist “in numbers enough to make a lot of trouble,” for the Governments of Bolivia and neighbouring Argentina and Paraguay. Estimates of Guerrilla strength, put at 30 to 50 in early April, have risen within the last month to 100 or 120. The military experts believe the Bolivian armed forces
have shown little aptitude for anti-guerrilla warfare. Because of what the American military men call the “terrible greenness” of the Bolivian troops, the United States is concentrating on providing teams of militant advisers, all experts in counter-insurgency tactics, to help train several thousand troops. These sources concede that good intelligence about the guerrillas is limited. “But we do know enough,” said a high-ranking officer, “to draw the conclusion that the guerrillas are getting support from international Communist groups and from Cuba and that they are not all local dissidents.” The United States has accelerated military aid to Bolivia and may increase it if the guerrilla movement grows. “The ability of the Bolivian troops to use the weapons they have won or they may get in the future is absolutely nominal. They are badly trained, most of the soldiers have been in service for less than six months, and the officers are so poorly paid that very vew are of high enough calibre to lead properly,” the officer said. It is understood that a general from the United States counter-insurgency school in Panama inspected the situation in early April. Sources in Buenos Aires say there are reports of trouble brewing among Bolivia’s tinminers, most of whom are influenced by Communistdominated unions. Oruro, a
town in the tin-mining area, appears to be a centre of this discontent, the reports say.
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Bibliographic details
Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31364, 9 May 1967, Page 17
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315Bolivian Guerrillas Worry U.S. Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31364, 9 May 1967, Page 17
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