US revokes visas of 27 Latin American officials over corruption allegations
The Trump administration has revoked or refused visas for 27 officials, former officials and relatives from Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. The State Department said the action was intended to defend democratic governance and counter corruption and narco-trafficking, while allegations against the targeted individuals have not been resolved in the supplied report.
The United States has revoked or denied visas for 27 Latin American officials, former officials and family members over accusations of corruption, according to the State Department. Those targeted are from Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. The countries have right-leaning governments described in the supplied report as friendly with President Donald Trump.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited Colombia, Ecuador and Peru this month and pledged US support for efforts against drug and human trafficking. The State Department said the visa measures were intended to fulfil commitments to defend democratic governance in the region against corruption and narco-trafficking. It said undermining a democratically elected government threatened security and the rule of law in the Americas.
The action includes Bolivian Attorney General Roger Mariaca and more than 20 other Bolivian prosecutors and judges. The department said 12 of those people currently held US visas, while nine would be denied visas if they applied. Two Colombians, described as a business mogul and a lawmaker, two Ecuadorians and a Peruvian judge were also affected.
The measures form part of the administration’s wider use of visa restrictions to pressure officials and governments over issues including immigration, discrimination and alleged corruption. The State Department accused Mariaca, who was elected to a six-year term in 2024, of abusing his position by soliciting and accepting bribes to ease drug trafficking. It also accused him of helping violent criminals evade justice.
The department said his alleged conduct endangered Trump’s efforts to combat narcoterrorism and weakened democratic institutions that Bolivia, as a participant in the US-led “Shield of the Americas” bloc, was seeking to strengthen. Mariaca did not immediately respond to a request for comment, according to the supplied report. The material does not provide responses from the other people affected or independent findings on the allegations.
This independently written report is based on information supplied by the named publisher. Vertrix News has not independently verified the source report.