US Restricts Visas for 61 People in Bolivia and Colombia Over Alleged Corruption

• The United States announced visa restrictions affecting 61 individuals.
• Bolivia accounts for 40 people, including family members.
• Colombia has 21 people affected, including seven named individuals and their relatives.

The United States has announced new visa restrictions targeting individuals in Bolivia and Colombia. President Donald Trump’s administration announced measures against people accused of involvement in corruption or drug trafficking activities that U.S. authorities say undermine democratically elected governments.

According to two EFE news agency reports published Thursday, October 22, the U.S. State Department imposed visa restrictions on 40 people in Bolivia and 21 in Colombia, including immediate family members of the individuals named in the announcements.

The measures affect current and former government officials, judicial authorities, politicians, and other individuals associated with public institutions. In Bolivia, the restrictions cover 15 named individuals and 25 immediate family members.

Bolivia: 40 People Face US Visa Restrictions

The State Department announced visa restrictions affecting 15 Bolivian nationals, including current and former officials, along with 25 immediate family members.

Among those named are former Attorney General Juan Lanchipa and Freddy Bismarck Pereira Molina, a former director of Bolivia’s Special Force to Fight Drug Trafficking (FELCN).

The list also includes former Migration Director Katherine Calderón, President of the Santa Cruz Departmental Court of Justice Aldo Quezada, and former Financial Investigations Unit Director Diego Alejandro Barboza.

Other individuals named include former La Paz coordinating prosecutor Armando Rojas and Fernando Ronald Velasco, a former FELCN airport security chief at Viru Viru International Airport.

According to Washington, the measures target foreign nationals whose alleged involvement in corruption or drug trafficking activities undermines democratically elected governments.

Colombia: Seven Officials and Former Politicians Named in US Visa Restrictions

In Colombia, the restrictions include Ricardo Roa, former president of state-owned oil company Ecopetrol and former manager of Gustavo Petro’s 2022 presidential campaign.

Others named are Sincelejo Mayor Yahir Acuña; Senator-elect Wadith Manzur; Representative-elect Karen Manrique; and former Senators Julio Elías Chagüí and Liliana Bitar.

The seventh individual is José Ignacio Mesa, a former congressman and former mayor of Envigado. According to the State Department, the visa restrictions extend to the immediate family members of the seven named Colombians, bringing the total number of affected people in Colombia to 21.

EFE reports that Roa faces judicial and administrative investigations. Colombian prosecutors have brought charges against him involving alleged influence peddling and possible irregularities in the financing of Petro’s presidential campaign.

Meanwhile, Manzur, Manrique, and Bitar face proceedings related to allegations that government contracts and projects were offered in exchange for supporting public credit operations.

Why Is the US Restricting Visas for Bolivians and Colombians?

The restrictions were imposed under a policy announced on September 28, following commitments made through the Shield of the Americas initiative, a regional effort led by the United States.

Established in 2026, the initiative brings together Washington and 14 other Latin American and Caribbean countries to coordinate efforts against organized crime.

In the announcement concerning Colombia, Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized that the Trump administration supports efforts to remove criminal influence from public institutions.

Regarding Bolivia, Washington also referred to earlier measures against former Attorney General Roger Mariaca, whom U.S. authorities accused of soliciting and accepting bribes to facilitate drug trafficking.

The latest visa restrictions reflect the Trump administration’s efforts to expand its use of immigration measures against individuals accused of corruption and narcotics-related activities in Latin America. However, the State Department’s allegations and visa restrictions do not, by themselves, establish criminal convictions against everyone affected.