News Desk - The Cradle
Washington says independent nations 'must carefully consider' before signing defense agreements with 'a nation like Iran'
“We emphatically condemn the interventionist attitude of the US that, with double standards, tries to question Bolivia’s interest in acquiring drones from Iran. The same country that uses these remote-controlled aircraft as a weapon of war tries to prevent other states like Bolivia from using them for security tasks and the fight against drug trafficking,” the leader of the ruling Movement Towards Socialism (MAS) party said via Twitter.
Condenamos enfáticamente la actitud intervencionista de #EEUU que con doble moral trata de cuestionar el interés de #Bolivia de adquirir drones de #Irán. El país que usa esas aeronaves teledirigidas como arma de guerra trata de impedir que otros Estados como Bolivia los usen…
— Evo Morales Ayma (@evoespueblo) July 30, 2023
“Per our constitution, [Bolivia] is pacifist and integrationist. Historically, the US lives from wars, provoking conflicts to divide countries and plundering their natural resources. The free peoples have recovered our sovereignty and dignity, and we are not going to submit to the designs of imperialism,” Morales added.
His comments came in response to an interview US National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby gave to Voice of America (VOA).
“We’re concerned about any export of Iranian technology that can be destabilizing. We have leveled many sanctions on Iran, some of them tied directly to their support for Russia and their export of this drone technology to Moscow. We urge all nations, no matter where they are, to carefully consider before they enter into defense arrangements with a nation like Iran,” Kirby said when asked about La Paz’s defense agreement with Iran.
During a visit to Tehran earlier this month, Bolivian Defense Minister Edmundo Novillo inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on defense and security affairs with his Iranian counterpart Mohamad Reza Ashtiani.
Ashtiani explained following their meeting that Iran is going to supply Bolivia with the necessary equipment to combat drug trafficking and to preserve its territorial security, noting that “this cooperation can be a model to follow for other South American countries.”
For his part, Novillo said Iran is a “role model” for nations that seek freedom, highlighting the Islamic Republic’s “remarkable progress in science and technology, security, and the defense industry despite sanctions.”
News of the defense deal caused alarm among Bolivia’s far-right opposition and Jewish groups in neighboring Argentina. In a statement released last week, Buenos Aires demanded explanations from La Paz under pressure from the Delegation of Argentinian Israeli Associations (DAIA), who said the MoU “risks for the security of Argentina and the region” due to Tehran’s ties with Lebanese resistance group Hezbollah.
Novillo, in a statement, downplayed Argentina’s concerns, claiming that they are an “exaggeration” and a “political show” due to upcoming Argentinian elections in October.
While the specific details of the MoU have yet to be made public, La Paz is reportedly interested in acquiring Iranian drones to combat drug trafficking along its borders.
On Sunday, Bolivia announced several successful drug busts in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, the bastion of the far-right opposition that successfully ousted Morales from power in 2019 in a US-backed coup that pushed the country into a brutal dictatorship.
Bolivia has become the latest Latin American nation to sign a defense agreement with Iran, as the Islamic Republic has supported Venezuela over the past several years. Moreover, Nicaragua earlier this year hosted the Iranian foreign minister for talks with army leaders on how to combat US influence in the region.
Iran and Bolivia also hold two of the largest lithium deposits in the world, with the Islamic Republic earlier this year announcing the discovery of a massive deposit holding a reported 8.5 million tons of the rare element. On the other hand, Bolivia has the richest known lithium deposits in the world, with an estimated 21 million tons.
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