MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Reciprocity: US citizens need visas to visit Bolivia

Bolivia follows on Brazil's steps that imposed the visas request on US citizens

In a long anticipated “reciprocity” decision as of this Wednesday United States citizens will have to request visas to visit Bolivia. Earlier this year president Evo Morales said that all countries have dignity “even small, underdeveloped countries as Bolivia”.

Bolivian Foreign Affairs minister David Choquehuanca said Wednesday's resolution confirms a supreme decree signed by President Morales on January first 2007. Bolivia follows on Brazil's steps that imposed the visas request on US citizens reacting to an earlier decision from President George Bush's administration. The January first decree basically modified the list of tourist visa exemptions and extensions by lowering US citizens from category One to Three which makes it mandatory to request entry visas to Bolivia. "Bolivia, even as a small country, called underdeveloped has as much dignity as any other country", said Morales at the time arguing that it was a legitimate resource based on the international criteria of "reciprocity" since Bolivians must apply for visas to visit United States. The Bolivian president added that the decision was also related to "problems faced by some brother leaders, including politicians, who must have a visa to travel to United States". "We are the second country in the region in assuming such responsibility" said Morales last January. "We respect the government of United States but we also demand respect" he emphasized recalling that in March 2006 a US citizen organized a dynamite attack against two hotels in the capital La Paz killing two people. "We must have a stricter control over foreigners visiting Bolivia", underlined President Morales.