The State Department said Monday it is revoking visas for 27 Latin American officials, former officials and family members, including Bolivia Attorney General Roger Mariaca, over corruption accusations. The targets are from Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru.
The list includes Mariaca and more than 20 other Bolivian prosecutors and judges, as well as two Colombians—a business mogul and a lawmaker—two Ecuadorians and one Peruvian judge. Twelve Bolivian targets are identified as current U.S. visa holders; nine would be denied visas if they applied.
U.S. documents accuse Mariaca of soliciting and accepting bribes to facilitate narcotrafficking and helping violent criminals evade justice. The State Department said the revocations are intended to defend democratic governance against corruption and narco-trafficking. The countries' leaders have complained that many of those targeted were hindering efforts to fight crime.
