FORGED BOLIVIAN PASSPORTS
by Samuel Mendoza
Presencia 27/9/85
FREE TRANSLATION
At the start of this year, there were accusations regarding the existence of a number of forged Bolivian passports in the hands of foreign citizens, the majority being chinese in various Asian countries.
The first warning was given by British authorities in Hong Kong. It was there that it was discovered that these documents were held by individuals who claimed to have become Bolivian citizens and therefore received the passports, even though it was proven that most of them did not even know Bolivia or if they did, had been there only two or three months.
The Bolivian Honorary General Consul in Hong Kong, Mr. Ignacio T.K. Tan, sent all the pertinent documents and passports confiscated by the authorities of that port to the Immigration and Foreign Office (in La Paz) seeking instructions and more information about the case. These he needed in order to be able to present an official and concrete argument at the trials in Hong Kong Courts against those who were in possession of the forged passports. Unfortunately, the Rolivian authorities did not answer fast enough. In some cases, the veracity of the nationality of certain chinese individuals was proven, there having been found in the files of the "Palacio de Gobierno" resolutions granting them Polivian nationality without their having fulfilled basic requirements such as residing in the country for at least three years. Under these circumstances, some Chinese in possession of these forged passports, were freed by police and judicial authorities in Hong Kong.
It was also proven that the passports were signed by different immigration officials particularly from Cochabamba and Santa Cruz. It was also learned during the trials in Hong Kong that thousands of US dollars had been paid in order to obtain the documents; these passports had been extended in Bolivia and in some cases sent to them from Bolivia; no one knew the source not want to divulge it.
or did
A few days ago, the newspaper "Los Tiempos" from Cochabamba (15-9-85) confirmed the scandal to which we are now referring. The article points out that with signatures of former and present authorities of the "Prefectura"
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