Pro-Government Militias
Special Security Service (Bolivia)
Basic Group Information
| Name assigned by coder: | no |
| PGM ID Number: | 240 |
| Country: | Bolivia |
| Date formed: | July 16, 1981 |
| Accuracy of date formed: | year |
| Details of Formation: | Garcia Meza overthrew his cousin Lidia Gueiler Tejada in 1980 in what is known as the ‘cocaine-coup’, with the help of various paramilitary groups. When in power, Garcia Meza’s minister of Interior, Colonel Arce Gomez, reorganized these paramilitary groups under the name ‘Special Security Services’ (SES). The group was created sometime between July 1980 and July 1981. Human Rights Watch mentions that it was established under the supervision of Argentine advisers. |
| Date dissolved: | Oct. 10, 1982 |
| Accuracy of date dissolved: | year |
| Details of Termination: | The Special Security Services were still active during Guido Vildoso’s rule (after the second military dictator of the period, Celso Torrelio, was forced from power in July 1982). However, after democratically elected Hernán Siles became president in October there is no new information concerning the Special Security Services. We assume that the group was dissolved once democracy was reinstated in October 1982. |
| Termination Type(s): | change in government |
Former and Successor Group Information
| Predecessor group(s): | none |
| Successor group(s): | none |
| Private Military Company? | no |
| Former Group? | no |
| Former Armed Group? | NA |
| Former Rebel Group? | no information |
| Former Rebel Group UCDP ID: | none |
| PGM Becomes Rebel Group? | no |
| Successor Rebel Group UCDP ID: | none |
Government Relation, Support, and Training
| Government Relation: | semi-official (type 2) |
| Created by the Government?: | yes | Main Creating Government Institution: | person/minister |
| Government Link(s): | state (institution); military (institution) |
| If link to party, name of party: | |
| Training and Equipment: | yes |
| Shared Information and Joint Operations: | yes |
| Shared Personnel: | yes |
| Type(s) of Material Support: | domestic government; plunder and loot; drugs |
| State Sponsor(s): | none |
| Other Connection(s): | Mercenaries from France and West Germany (ex-nazis) and Argentinian supervisors helped to train and supervise them. |
Group Characteristics
| Membership: | security forces |
| Primary Membership: | noncivilian |
| Alternative Primary Membership: | no information |
| Location: | La Paz (Obrajes), Cochabamba |
| Force Strength: | [600, 1000] |
| Target(s): | unarmed political opposition, government critics |
| Purpose(s): | intimidation of civilians; intimidate political opposition |
Ethnic Characteristics
| Ethnic Target(s): | none |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Targeting: | not applicable |
| Ethnic Membership: | none |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Membership: | not applicable |
| Ethnic Purpose: | none |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Purpose: | not applicable |
Other Information
| Other Information: | This group undertook some public and some private operations - possibly related to drug running. It operated out of white ambulances and tortured those they held prisioner. The name changed to Directorate of State intelligence (aka Special Investigation Department) (DIE) in 1981. |
New Variables from Meta-Analysis
Purpose
| Purpose: | Their main de-facto purpose was to intimidate political opposition. The government profited from these actions as it could deny the violence. |
| Relative Benefit(s) of PGM Use | deniability of violence |
Treatment of Civilians
| Treatment of Civilians: | News sources report that the Special Security Service beat and tortured government critics. It killed political opposition and detained and tortured a parliamentary deputy. The Interior Minister then tried to cover up what had happened (Human Rights Watch). |
| Type(s) of Violence against Civilians: | killing; beating; torture |
Reasons for Membership
| PGM Members Coerced? | no information |
| PGM Members Paid? | no information |
| Reasons for Membership: | |
| PGM Members Killed? | no information |
PGM Size
| Size: | In September 1981 the group was estimated to have between 600 and 1,000 members |
Weapons and Training
| Weapons and Training: | The group was trained by a colonel who had himself been trained in Taiwan before. He was aided by mercenaries from France and West Germany. |
Organisation
| Organisation: | The group is led by Colonel Freddy Quiroga and linked and responsible to the Interior Ministry (Human Rights Watch). However, many remain more loyal to local commanders. |
Reference(s) for Meta-Analysis
Evidence
- Examine the evidence for this coding.