WASHINGTON (AFP) — The United States said Monday that its ambassador to Bolivia would return to Washington to discuss security, following "violent protests" last week in front of the US embassy in La Paz.
"US Ambassador to Bolivia Philip S. Goldberg will return to Washington for consultations on embassy security in the wake of violent protests in La Paz on Monday June 9," said Gonzalo Gallegos, a State Department spokesman.
Last Monday, demonstrations erupted in front of the US embassy in La Paz over revelations that Bolivia's former defense minister Carlos Sanchez Berzain had been granted political asylum in the United States last year.
Sanchez Berzain received political asylum in April 2007 after telling US authorities that he feared he would be "persecuted and tortured" by the government of Bolivia's newly-elected leftist president, according to documents released by La Paz's embassy in Washington.
The current Bolivian government is said to be considering an extradition request against Sanchez Berzain for his role in a 2003 army crackdown that led to the deaths of some 60 civilian protesters.
The State Department did not allude to the controversy Monday, however.
"The ambassador's consultations will provide an opportunity to explore measures to enhance security cooperation with the government of Bolivia," said the statement attributed to Gallegos.
"We appreciate the efforts of the Bolivian National Police to protect our embassy and our personnel," the statement said.
"At the same time, we are concerned by the recent statements of some Bolivian government officials that cast doubt on Bolivia's commitment to fulfill its Vienna Convention obligations to protect diplomatic staff and facilities in the future," it said.
Bolivian Foreign Minister David Choquehuanca saw nothing wrong in Goldberg's recall.
"Normally, ambassadors are recalled, as we did with ours, because it's not the same talking by telephone or exchanging emails. There are issues that have to be dealt with personally. That's normal," he told Bolivia's Erbol radio in a telephone interview from Lima.
Bolivia recalled its ambassador to Washington Gustavo Guzman last week.
Choquehuanca said Golberg was unable to explain why Berzain was granted political asylum.
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