President Evo Morales has enacted a Law of Security and Defense of the Air Space that will allow shooting down of aircrafts entering Bolivia sky without authorization, mainly those devoted to drug trafficking operations, according to the Associated Press.
Bolivia is the world's third cocaine producer and has also become a key transit country for partially refined cocaine from Peru, which has the biggest coca crop, the AP reported. Other countries in the region with similar shootdown policies include Brazil, Colombia, Honduras and Venezuela, and are all cocaine transit countries.
Peru halted its U.S.-based shootdown program after one of its warplanes shot at a small plane in 2001 carrying United States missionaries, killing a woman and her 7-month-old daughter, according to the AP.
In 2012, the U.S. stopped sharing radar with Honduras after it shot down two suspected drug planes in violation of agreements with Washington, the AP reported.
The law signed Tuesday by Morales requires that before starting the plan, Bolivia must first purchase and install radar systems, which its borders lack, according to the AP.
Officials say about six drug flights a day enter Bolivia from Peru and after processing, finished cocaine is transported by land and air to Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina with most of it going to Europe, police say, the AP reported.
Morales told reporters that Bolivia is talking to other countries about purchasing six radars worth a total of $90 million but did not name the countries, according to the AP.
Paraguay and Argentina have no radar coverage of their borders with Bolivia and it was not immediately determined whether Peru has a working radar at its border, the AP reported.
