Following the arrest of more than 100 Haitians last weekend during police operations in Oruro and Santa Cruz in Bolivia, the Bolivian Prosecutor's Office and Interpol asked their Brazilian and Chilean counterparts for further information on the situation of migratory status of arrested Haitians.

Investigations have revealed that the criminal network of "traffickers" of foreigners, who use Bolivia as a bridge to move from one state to another, is larger and has more members than presumed.

On Tuesday, the prosecutor Marcos Arce could not take action against the 7 people arrested accused of the crime of human trafficking, for lack of translator for one of the 2 Haitian detainees, arrested in this case with 5 Bolivians (the 4 bus drivers in which the Haitians traveled and the woman who managed the purchase of tickets). The Public Ministry has applied for pre-trial detention in Palmasola Prison.

The arrested Haitians, victims of the human trafficking network, said that the individuals who managed their movements, knew perfectly all the mechanisms to enter or leave from one country to another, without passing through all mandatory migration controls.

S/ HaitiLibre