Russian ambassador: We are looking to boost Bolivia ties

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Bolivia's plan to purchase five Russian civil defense helicopters is a "first step" in deepening ties between the two countries as Russia looks to expand its role across Latin America, Russian Ambassador to Bolivia Leonid Golubev said on Tuesday. Golubev said he would like to see Russia's ties with Bolivia one day "approach the level" of its growing partnership with Venezuela, which will host the Russian navy for military exercises in the Caribbean later this year. "We want to show the United States that Latin America is not their backyard," Golubev said. "We also have interests in various spheres, including military ones." The ambassador expressed "great satisfaction" at the recent rise of Bolivian President Evo Morales and other "socialist-oriented" governments across Latin America.