The Trump administration is taking a hard line against corruption in Latin America, revoking the visas of 27 officials from the region, including Bolivia’s top prosecutor, along with former officials and their family members, over allegations of corruption and ties to drug trafficking.
The State Department announced Monday that the visa revocations targeted officials and their relatives from four countries: Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru.
The move sends a clear message that the administration will not open America’s doors to foreign officials accused of corruption or of helping drug traffickers escape justice.
It follows a pledge Secretary of State Marco Rubio made earlier this month to combat drug and human trafficking after visiting Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. The right-wing leaders of those three nations are notably aligned with President Trump’s tough stance on the illicit drug trade.
Among the most prominent figures targeted is Bolivia’s attorney general, Roger Mariaca. The administration is barring Mariaca and his family from entering the United States, accusing him of accepting bribes to help drug traffickers and violent criminals avoid prosecution.
The State Department said it is “taking actions to fulfill the commitments to defend democratic governance across our hemisphere against corruption and narco-trafficking.”
“Under the Trump Administration, corrupt foreign officials can no longer freely enter the United States,” the department said in a statement.
Bolivia was hit hardest by the crackdown. In addition to Mariaca, visas were revoked for 12 other Bolivians, a list that includes prosecutors, judges, a former justice minister and a police official. Nine more Bolivians who did not hold current visas were made ineligible to receive them in the future.
The action was not limited to Bolivia. Two Colombians, two Ecuadorians and a Peruvian judge were also targeted.
The revocations were carried out under a new visa policy aimed at foreign nationals accused of undermining democratically elected governments, either through corruption or by facilitating drug trafficking.
“Undermining a democratically-elected government is a threat to security and rule of law in the Americas and will not be tolerated,” the department said. “This is a durable mechanism that allows the United States to act quickly, in coordination with our partners, as evidence develops.”
That language signals the administration intends to keep the pressure on, with the ability to move swiftly against additional officials as new evidence comes to light.
The restrictions are part of President Trump’s “Shield of the Americas” initiative, which calls on participating countries to work together to combat drug trafficking, organized crime and corruption throughout the Western Hemisphere.
With officials from four nations now facing consequences, including prosecutors, judges and a sitting attorney general, the administration is making good on its promise to confront corruption and narco-trafficking in the region. Under the new policy, those accused of helping drug traffickers or undermining elected governments are finding that the path into the United States has been closed.
[READ MORE: Trump Adviser Breaks With President on Midterm Polls, Predicts ‘Rough’ Election for Republicans]
