The text of the following statement was released by the Governments of the United States of America, Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guyana, Honduras, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, and Trinidad and Tobago.
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The governments participating in the Shield of the Americas commend the Government of Bolivia for its decisive actions to confront narco-trafficking, tackle corruption, and hold enablers accountable. The Shield countries encourage Bolivia's continued investigation and prosecution of these networks. The recent high-profile law enforcement actions against current and former senior officials implicated in narcotrafficking send a powerful message: Bolivia's democratically elected government and other Shield countries will no longer tolerate illicit influence in our hemisphere, no matter how high it reaches.
At the historic Shield of Americas leaders meeting on September 22, the 15 countries stood united in our unwavering commitment to defend democratically elected governments and protect regional security against the corrosive influence of narco-terrorist networks.
Today, we stand firmly with Bolivia.
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