US and Bolivia - Déjà Vu All Over Again: "Decertification" Memorandum of Justification inaccurate and misleading

On September 15, the Obama administration submitted the Memorandum of Justification explaining their decision to name Bolivia as a country that "failed demonstrably... to adhere to their obligations under international counternarcotics agreements" for the second year in a row. Once again the determination presents inaccurate, poorly prepared information, further complicated by confusing language.

Without reliable, coherent information, it is impossible to evaluate Bolivia’s drug control performance. Although like all drug control efforts, Bolivia’s program faces multiple challenges, false assertions contained in the Memorandum further impede bilateral relations. Any future efforts to redefine U.S. - Bolivian relations and cooperation must be based on a precise, realistic assessment of past interactions and the realization that the decision to “decertify” with a faulty justification has put the U.S. even farther out of step with the international community and Latin American multilateral anti-drug initiatives. Read the full report.