A month after the U.S. Peace Corps removed its volunteers from Bolivia, some have returned to the Latin American country despite strong discouragement and without the Peace Corps’ support.
Though officials cited safety concerns as reason for evacuation, most volunteers felt no security threat. “Peace Corps, unfortunately, has become another weapon in the U.S. diplomatic arsenal,” expressed Sarah Nourse, a former volunteer, who described the withdrawal as “one more chance for the U.S. to maintain its tough image and hit back, harder.”
But the Peace Corps weapon is much more versatile. The September removal came amid charges of Peace Corps involvement in intelligence gathering, and just days after the U.S. Ambassador was charged with conspiring against the Bolivian administration. Last year, the U.S. Embassy asked volunteers to report any sightings of Venezuelan or Cuban activists.
