Published: 11:51, September 17, 2025 | Updated: 13:33, September 17, 2025
Bolivia rejects US drug trafficking report, questions its role as 'unilateral judge'
By Xinhua
This handout file picture dated Jan 5, 2024 and released by Bolivia's Government Ministry shows wood boards in which 8 tons and 776 kilograms of cocaine were found inside a truck during an operation presented during a press conference in Oruro, Bolivia. (HANDOUT / BOLIVIA'S GOVERNMENT MINISTRY VIA AFP)

LA PAZ - Bolivia on Tuesday rejected the conclusions of a United States State Department report on drug trafficking and questioned Washington's role as a "unilateral judge."

The US is not a recognized body for evaluating drug policies in other countries, Deputy Minister of Social Defense and Controlled Substances Jaime Mamani told state-run Bolivia TV.

ALSO READ: Bolivia declares emergency after floods kill over 50

The official defended Bolivia's "proven" commitment to a frontal and transparent fight against drug trafficking, with an average of 35 tons of drugs seized annually.

He praised Bolivia's anti-narcotics strategy as "comprehensive and sovereign," based on the concerted eradication of illegal coca crops and international cooperation with agencies such as the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the International Narcotics Control Board.

READ MORE: Govt opponents occupy military barracks in central Bolivia

Bolivia's Ministry of Government also criticized the US report, asserting in a statement that "drug trafficking is a global problem with shared responsibilities, and the fight against it must be the result of multilateral cooperation as established by international organizations, not unilateral accusations."

Bolivian authorities noted that the US, as a leading consumer of illicit drugs, lacked the authority to rate the effectiveness of other countries' drug policies.