{"id":34224,"date":"2021-03-15T00:31:10","date_gmt":"2021-03-14T22:31:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/norkhosq.net\/?p=34224"},"modified":"2021-03-15T00:32:06","modified_gmt":"2021-03-14T22:32:06","slug":"revealed-the-uk-supported-the-coup-in-bolivia-to-gain-access-to-its-white-gold","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/norkhosq.net\/?p=34224","title":{"rendered":"Revealed: The UK supported the coup in Bolivia to gain access to its \u2018white gold\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymaverick.co.za\/article\/2021-03-08-revealed-the-uk-supported-the-coup-in-bolivia-to-gain-access-to-its-white-gold\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">By Matt Kennard\u2022 8 March 2021<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After a coup in the South American country of Bolivia in November 2019, democratically elected president Evo Morales was forced to flee. Foreign Office documents obtained by Declassified show Britain saw the new military-backed regime, which killed 18 protesters, as an opportunity to open up Bolivia\u2019s lithium deposits to UK firms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Lithium \u2013 known as \u2018white gold\u2019 \u2013 is a key metal used in batteries and increasingly important to the world car industry<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Britain\u2019s Foreign Office appears to have paid Oxford-based company to optimise \u2018exploitation\u2019 of Bolivia\u2019s lithium deposits the month after Morales fled country<\/li><li>UK embassy acted as \u2018strategic partner\u2019 to coup regime and organised international mining event in Bolivia four months after democracy overthrown<\/li><li>UK firm founded by British Army veteran was \u2018now in line to offer its services\u2019 to mining companies, Foreign Office noted after event<\/li><li>UK embassy provided data for the now discredited international report which was used to justify 2019 coup<\/li><li>UK embassy brought cybersecurity company with close links to the CIA to Bolivia in March 2019, eight months before the military takeover<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On 10 November 2019, after the head of the army <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-latin-america-50370013\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">called<\/a> for his resignation, Bolivia\u2019s socialist president, Evo Morales, stepped down. It followed weeks of protests after the release of a report by the Organisation of American States (OAS) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.oas.org\/en\/media_center\/press_release.asp?sCodigo=E-099\/19\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">alleging<\/a> irregularities in the election Morales had won the previous month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Persecution from the new regime forced Morales to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-latin-america-50397922\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">flee<\/a> the country and an \u201cinterim president\u201d, Jeanine \u00c1\u00f1ez, was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/news\/2019\/11\/13\/jeanine-anez-declares-herself-bolivia-interim-president\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">installed<\/a>. Widely <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/article\/archive\/bolivia-coup-morales\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">condemned<\/a> as a coup, resulting protests were met with lethal force.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Days after taking power, on 14 November, the \u00c1\u00f1ez regime forced through <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amnesty.org\/en\/latest\/news\/2019\/11\/bolivia-derogar-norma-impunidad-fuerzas-armadas\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Decree 4078<\/a> which gave immunity to the military for any actions taken in \u201cthe defence of society and maintenance of public order\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The following day, on 15 November, Bolivian military forces shot and killed <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2019\/11\/16\/780118421\/8-killed-in-bolivia-as-protesters-call-for-return-of-ousted-president-evo-morale\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">eight protesters<\/a> in the city of Sacaba. On 21 November, regime forces killed another <a href=\"https:\/\/www.oas.org\/en\/iachr\/media_center\/PReleases\/2019\/321.asp\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">10 protesters<\/a> in the neighbourhood of Senkata just outside the capital La Paz.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Despite the deadly violence, which was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amnesty.org\/en\/latest\/news\/2019\/11\/bolivia-derogar-norma-impunidad-fuerzas-armadas\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">condemned<\/a> by human rights groups, the British embassy in La Paz moved quickly to support Bolivia\u2019s new regime, <em>Declassified<\/em> can reveal from documents we have obtained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We have seen a project list for a Foreign Office programme in Bolivia called \u201cFrontline Diplomatic Enabling Activity\u201d, which the UK government describes as a \u201csmall pot of money that [embassies] receive and have authority over to spend on projects supporting [embassy] activity\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"850\" height=\"616\" src=\"https:\/\/norkhosq.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/grafik-17.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-34228\" srcset=\"https:\/\/norkhosq.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/grafik-17.png 850w, https:\/\/norkhosq.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/grafik-17-300x217.png 300w, https:\/\/norkhosq.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/grafik-17-768x557.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 850px) 100vw, 850px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>The deposits<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Bolivia has the world\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/news\/features\/2018-12-03\/bolivia-s-almost-impossible-lithium-dream\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">second-largest<\/a> reserves of lithium, a metal that is used to make batteries and which has become increasingly important due to the burgeoning electric car industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The UK government has stated that lithium battery technology is a priority for its \u201cindustrial strategy\u201d. In June 2019, it <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/news\/green-light-for-investment-in-electric-car-battery-development\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">announced<\/a> it was investing \u00a323-million in \u201celectric car battery development\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The government has further noted: \u201cIt\u2019s estimated that South America holds 54% of the world\u2019s lithium resources, which are increasingly in demand to manufacture batteries for electric vehicles and energy diversification programmes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It added: \u201cThe UK aims to have a thriving, sustainable battery industry, which would translate to a \u00a32.7 billion opportunity \u2026 and our bilateral partnerships are essential to ensure this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In February 2019, Evo Morales\u2019 government had <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/article\/us-bolivia-lithium-china\/bolivia-picks-chinese-partner-for-2-3-billion-lithium-projects-idUSKCN1PV2F7\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">chosen<\/a> a Chinese consortium to be its strategic partner on a new $2.3-billion lithium project which would focus on production from the Coipasa and Pastos Grandes salars (salt flats under which the lithium is deposited).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But after the coup, the regime\u2019s new minister for mining cast <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/article\/us-bolivia-lithium-exclusive\/exclusive-bolivias-new-lithium-tsar-says-country-should-go-it-alone-idUSKBN1ZE2DW\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">doubt<\/a> on whether the deal would be honoured by the new government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These particular salt flats were of interest to the UK embassy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One project it co-funded from 2019-20 sought to \u201coptimise Bolivia\u2019s lithium exploration and production (in the Coipasa and Pastos Grandes salars) using British technology\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After the coup, this project was quickly moved forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The abstract for the project was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.iadb.org\/projects\/document\/EZSHARE-544941409-20?project=BO-T1350\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">authorised<\/a> by its main funder \u2013 the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB) \u2013 on 25 November 2019, two weeks after the coup and days after the Senkata massacre.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The project gained full <a href=\"https:\/\/ewsdata.rightsindevelopment.org\/temp\/tmpJqvY36\/IADB-BO-T1350.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">approval<\/a> for funding of $100,000 weeks later, in mid-December 2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The IADB told <em>Declassified<\/em>: \u201cThe implementation of [grant] activities are conducted in close coordination with designated government authorities and their technical teams.\u201d At that point its \u201cclose coordination\u201d would have been with the \u00c1\u00f1ez regime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"852\" height=\"619\" src=\"https:\/\/norkhosq.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/grafik-18.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-34229\" srcset=\"https:\/\/norkhosq.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/grafik-18.png 852w, https:\/\/norkhosq.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/grafik-18-300x218.png 300w, https:\/\/norkhosq.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/grafik-18-768x558.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 852px) 100vw, 852px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Satellite Applications Catapult<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The British embassy in La Paz provided \u00a35,000 towards this lithium project in 2019-20, but the Foreign Office refused to tell <em>Declassified<\/em> if these funds were disbursed after the coup in November 2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The goal was to \u201cdesign and implement a satellite data-based application that can optimise exploration and exploitation of large\/best lithium sources in the Coipasa and Pastos Grandes salars in Bolivia\u201d, the documents outlined.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Foreign Office noted that the project was to be implemented by Satellite Applications Catapult, an Oxford-based organisation \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/sa.catapult.org.uk\/about-us\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">helping<\/a> organisations harness the power of satellite-based services\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The company receives about a <a href=\"https:\/\/find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk\/company\/07964746\/filing-history\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">third<\/a> of its funding from the UK government but it did not respond to <em>Declassified<\/em>\u2019s questions about the Bolivia project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, we found that on 19 December 2019 \u2013 two days after the IABD gave final approval to the project \u2013 the UK Foreign Office <a href=\"https:\/\/assets.publishing.service.gov.uk\/government\/uploads\/system\/uploads\/attachment_data\/file\/871951\/December_2019_Spend_over_25K.csv\/preview\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">transferred<\/a> \u00a333,220 to Satellite Applications Catapult, in a payment listed as \u201cprogramme spend\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The department refused to tell <em>Declassified<\/em> if this funding was for the lithium exploitation project in Bolivia. The IADB told us: \u201cCoordination with the British Embassy has been particularly cooperative in search for synergies\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"849\" height=\"616\" src=\"https:\/\/norkhosq.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/grafik-19.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-34230\" srcset=\"https:\/\/norkhosq.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/grafik-19.png 849w, https:\/\/norkhosq.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/grafik-19-300x218.png 300w, https:\/\/norkhosq.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/grafik-19-768x557.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 849px) 100vw, 849px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>International seminar<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Then, in March 2020, four months after the coup, the British embassy in La Paz partnered with the regime\u2019s Ministry of Mining to organise an \u201cinternational seminar\u201d for more than 300 officials from the global extractives sector.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A British company, Watchman, was brought in by the UK embassy to give the keynote presentation and outline the \u201ccreative solutions\u201d it had enacted in Africa to bring local communities onside with mining projects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Foreign Office documents note: \u201cWatchman UK and other consultancies are now in line to offer services in this important field to a number of Bolivia mining companies who wish to achieve win-win solutions to their controversies with indigenous inhabitants and towns located in the area of influence of their activities\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Watchman is a <a href=\"http:\/\/www.watchman.co.uk\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">risk management<\/a> company set up in 2016 by Christopher Goodwin-Hudson, a nine-year <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/chris-goodwin-hudson-011b9a116\/?originalSubdomain=uk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">veteran<\/a> of the British Army who was later executive director of global security for the investment bank Goldman Sachs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The company <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/chris-goodwin-hudson-011b9a116\/?originalSubdomain=uk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">supports<\/a> corporate clients \u201cacross the extractive, agribusiness and capital project sectors\u201d who are having trouble operating because of local resistance. Watchman\u2019s website <a href=\"http:\/\/www.watchman.co.uk\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">carries<\/a> the logo of the UK Foreign Office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The firm\u2019s associate director, Gabriel Carter, has held a number of <a href=\"http:\/\/www.watchman.co.uk\/#people\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">senior roles<\/a> in the private security industry and in 2012 founded an Afghanistan-focused security company that \u201csupported numerous British and US development projects\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Carter, also a veteran of risk management at Goldman Sachs, is a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.strategiaworldwide.com\/our-people\/gabriel-carter\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">member<\/a> of the Special Forces Club, an exclusive and secretive private members\u2019 club for senior intelligence and special forces veterans in Knightsbridge, London.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Watchman did not respond to <em>Declassified<\/em>\u2019s questions about the event and the UK Foreign Office refused to answer questions related to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/de.scribd.com\/document\/497728721\/UK-Foreign-Office-documents-from-2015-20-documenting-a-range-of-programmes-run-by-the-British-embassy-in-Bolivia\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/de.scribd.com\/document\/497728721\/UK-Foreign-Office-documents-from-2015-20-documenting-a-range-of-programmes-run-by-the-British-embassy-in-Bolivia\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">UK Foreign Office documents from 2015-20 documenting<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>UK Foreign Office documents from 2015-20 documenting a range of programmes run by the British embassy in Bolivia.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>A long courtship<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The quick moves of the British embassy on the lithium project followed years of trying to court Bolivia\u2019s socialist government over the country\u2019s reserves of the metal, the new documents show.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Morales had <a href=\"https:\/\/www.opendemocracy.net\/en\/bolivian-democracy-vs-united-states\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">moved<\/a> Bolivia away from the country\u2019s traditional reliance on Western corporations since taking power in 2006. His government was widely praised for <a href=\"https:\/\/cepr.net\/press-release\/new-report-reviews-changes-in-bolivia-s-economy-under-evo-morales-s-presidency\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">reducing<\/a> poverty and increasing investment in schools, hospitals and infrastructure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Foreign Office notes that its \u201cfirst engagement with the Bolivian Lithium Company\u201d, known by its Spanish acronym YLB, was in 2017-18 when it paid \u00a331,500 to organise a scientific UK mission. It focused on training the YLB on new technologies to explore and produce lithium in a \u201csustainable\u201d way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The documents note this project \u201callowed British organisations \u2026 to carry over projects on lithium in Bolivia with [Inter-American Development Bank] and [UK government] funding in the following years\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The UK government noted: \u201cRelationship with the Bolivian Lithium Company might also prove relevant as Bolivia becomes a supplier of lithium (a critical material) to the UK\u201d, and referenced its \u201ceffort to connect Bolivia, Chile and Argentina (ie the Lithium Triangle) with the London Metal Exchange\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The following year\u2019s programme notes that \u201cstronger links\u201d developed between the YLB and the British embassy in Bolivia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The documents also outline how in April 2019, the British embassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina, hosted a \u201chigh-level technical meeting\u201d with the mining and lithium authorities of Argentina, Chile and Bolivia, as well as senior representatives of the London Metal Exchange.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Those three countries together share ownership of the \u201clithium triangle\u201d, the region of the Andes rich in lithium reserves. At the time Argentina and Chile had right-wing governments friendly with the UK.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Also in attendance was Bolivia\u2019s vice-minister of lithium and the chief executive of YLB. \u201cThe project from the British Embassy in Bolivia \u2026 consisted in securing and facilitating the presence of the Bolivian authorities in the meeting\u201d, the Foreign Office documents note.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It added that, after the meeting, the Bolivian government was now \u201caware of the relevance of the London Metal Exchange\u201d and particularly \u201cits interest to establish a lithium standard\u201d which was to be based upon the lithium triangle production. Such standards <a href=\"https:\/\/www.totalmateria.com\/page.aspx?ID=MetalStandards\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">serve<\/a> \u201cto promote understanding and communication between metal producers and users\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The following sections in this passage are redacted under two exemptions related to \u201cinternational relations\u201d and \u201ccommercial interests\u201d. These are the only redactions made on the programme documentation for the five years of operations seen by <em>Declassified<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"848\" height=\"545\" src=\"https:\/\/norkhosq.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/grafik-20.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-34231\" srcset=\"https:\/\/norkhosq.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/grafik-20.png 848w, https:\/\/norkhosq.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/grafik-20-300x193.png 300w, https:\/\/norkhosq.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/grafik-20-768x494.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 848px) 100vw, 848px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Darktrace<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There is further evidence Britain was always priming the country for a change in government. In the year before the coup, the British embassy was promoting the UK cyber sector, bringing a company to Bolivia founded by the UK intelligence community, and with close links to America\u2019s Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 2009, Morales had <a href=\"https:\/\/intelnews.org\/2009\/03\/11\/01-97\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">expelled<\/a> a US diplomat who he claimed was a CIA asset heading an operation to infiltrate Bolivia\u2019s state-owned oil company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Eight months before the coup, the UK embassy spent more than \u00a34,500 organising a \u201cmajor event\u201d in Laz Paz on cybersecurity for financial institutions, attended by 150 executives and senior officials from the Bolivian financial sector, according to the Foreign Office documents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Delivered in coordination with the Bolivian Stock Exchange, Bolivian banks were said to \u201cnow be acquiring specialised services to protect their systems from cybercrime\u201d. Further, the bankers were now aware that fighting cybercrime had to be \u201cbased upon adequate and state-of-the-art technology\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Presentations were delivered by British company Darktrace, a cybersecurity firm <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymaverick.co.za\/article\/2019-11-15-conflicts-of-interest-judge-in-julian-assange-case-fails-to-declare-sons-links-to-uk-and-us-intelligence\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">set up<\/a> by Britain\u2019s domestic security service, MI5, and its signals intelligence agency, GCHQ. The company was <a href=\"https:\/\/find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk\/company\/08562035\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">incorporated<\/a> the day after the first of whistle-blower Edward Snowden\u2019s exposures was published in <em>The Guardian<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Since its founding, Darktrace has hired personnel from the US intelligence community, including <a href=\"https:\/\/www.darktrace.com\/en\/press\/2014\/27\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">directly<\/a> from the CIA and the National Security Agency, where Snowden used to work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Recruits from the CIA<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Alan Wade, who sits on Darktrace\u2019s advisory council, is a 35-year <a href=\"https:\/\/www.darktrace.com\/en\/advisory-council\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">veteran<\/a> of the CIA and its former chief information officer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Darktrace <a href=\"https:\/\/www.darktrace.com\/en\/subject-matter-experts\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">also recruited<\/a> Marcus Fowler, a former US Marine and 15-year veteran of the CIA, as its \u201cdirector of strategic threat\u201d. At the CIA, Fowler worked on \u201cdeveloping global cyber operations and technical strategies\u201d and \u201cconducted nearly weekly briefings for senior US officials\u201d, he<a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/marcus-fowler\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"> says<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In July 2013, Evo Morales\u2019 presidential plane was <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/av\/world-latin-america-23166146\" target=\"_blank\">grounded<\/a> in Austria after US intelligence agencies suspected it had Snowden on board.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"849\" height=\"624\" src=\"https:\/\/norkhosq.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/grafik-21.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-34232\" srcset=\"https:\/\/norkhosq.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/grafik-21.png 849w, https:\/\/norkhosq.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/grafik-21-300x220.png 300w, https:\/\/norkhosq.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/grafik-21-768x564.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 849px) 100vw, 849px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Morales <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/news\/2019\/12\/25\/morales-claims-us-orchestrated-coup-to-tap-bolivias-lithium\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">blamed<\/a> the US and other international actors for the November 2019 coup. \u201cIt was a national and international coup d\u2019\u00e9tat,\u201d he said soon after. \u201cIndustrialised countries don\u2019t want competition.\u201d He added: \u201cI\u2019m absolutely convinced it\u2019s a coup against lithium.\u201d&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The WikiLeaks diplomatic cables <a href=\"https:\/\/www.opendemocracy.net\/en\/bolivian-democracy-vs-united-states\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">show<\/a> that the US embassy in La Paz worked closely with the political opposition in Bolivia to remove the Morales government after it took power in 2006.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Morales expelled the US Drug Enforcement Agency in <a href=\"https:\/\/edition.cnn.com\/2008\/WORLD\/americas\/11\/01\/bolivia.dea\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">2008<\/a> and the US Agency for International Development in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world-latin-america-22371275\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">2013<\/a>, accusing them of \u201cconspiring\u201d against his government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For the March 2019 event, the UK embassy also brought an expert from the London-based think tank Chatham House, whose co-president is Eliza Manningham-Buller, a former director-general of MI5.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Its funders <a href=\"https:\/\/www.chathamhouse.org\/about-us\/our-funding\/donors-chatham-house\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">include<\/a> the US State Department, UK Foreign Office, the British Army, and the oil companies BP and Chevron.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After the event, Britain\u2019s Foreign Office noted that \u201cseveral companies in the field [are] now being hired and consulted\u201d. It is not known if Darktrace was one of them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The embassy kept up the engagement soon after. \u201cNew dialogue with the Bolivian government on cyber\u201d, notes the Foreign Office in its 2019-2020 programme. It is unclear if this referred to the coup regime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>\u2018Important input\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The day after the Bolivian election on 20 October 2019, the Washington-based Organisation of American States \u2013 the grouping of countries in North and South America \u2013 released a <a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20210223200909\/https:\/www.oas.org\/en\/media_center\/press_release.asp?sCodigo=E-085\/19\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">report<\/a> on the vote which Morales had marginally won. It cited \u201can inexplicable change\u201d that \u201cdrastically modifies the fate of the election\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It also raised doubts about the fairness of the vote and fuelled a chain of events that led to the November coup.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, a subsequent study by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2020\/06\/07\/world\/americas\/bolivia-election-evo-morales.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">independent researchers<\/a> using data obtained by <em>The New York Times<\/em> from the Bolivian electoral authorities found that the OAS statistical analysis was flawed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Its conclusion that Morales\u2019 share of the vote jumped inexplicably in the final ballots relied on incorrect data and inappropriate statistical techniques, the researchers found.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Declassified<\/em> can now reveal that the British embassy provided data for the OAS\u2019s discredited report.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The British embassy spent \u00a38,000 putting together an alliance of civil society organisations which \u201ccoordinated an operation for citizens\u2019 observation of the elections in 2019\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This alliance carried out a survey on voting intentions before the elections, which \u201cwas an important input for the OAS mission report, which identified irregularities in the process\u201d, the Foreign Office notes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The OAS failed to respond to <em>Declassified<\/em>\u2019s questions about the UK embassy\u2019s role in its discredited report and the Foreign Office refused to answer any questions about it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The British embassy\u2019s projects to prepare for the election went even further. In February 2019, it spent \u00a39,981 to bring the Thomson Reuters Foundation to the country to train 30 Bolivian journalists on \u201cverification techniques and pre-planning an election on coverage that is balanced, accurate and free of polarisation\u201d.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Foundation <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thomsonfoundation.org\/map\/bolivia-digital-media-ethics-verification-and-covering-elections\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">said<\/a> that \u201cahead of the elections in Bolivia\u201d it was teaching \u201cpractical skills and tools to recognise fake news and attempts to influence the electorate with false information\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Declassified <\/em>previously <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymaverick.co.za\/article\/2021-01-06-revealed-uk-sets-up-media-influencing-project-in-venezuela-amid-secretive-750000-democracy-promotion-programme\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">revealed<\/a> how the British government is using journalism as an influencing tool in Latin America. Also recently <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/article\/us-britain-media\/britain-secretly-funded-reuters-in-1960s-and-1970s-documents-idUSKBN1ZC20H\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">revealed<\/a> was that the British government secretly funded Reuters in the 1960s and 1970s at the behest of an anti-Soviet propaganda unit linked to British intelligence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>\u2018Marxist solidarity\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Days after the November coup in Bolivia, the UK Foreign Office released a <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/news\/foreign-office-statement-on-situation-in-bolivia\" target=\"_blank\">statement<\/a> saying: \u201cThe United Kingdom congratulates Jeanine \u00c1\u00f1ez on taking on her new responsibilities as interim President of Bolivia.\u201d It added: \u201cWe welcome Ms \u00c1\u00f1ez\u2019 appointment and her declared intention to hold elections soon.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"851\" height=\"618\" src=\"https:\/\/norkhosq.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/grafik-22.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-34233\" srcset=\"https:\/\/norkhosq.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/grafik-22.png 851w, https:\/\/norkhosq.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/grafik-22-300x218.png 300w, https:\/\/norkhosq.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/grafik-22-768x558.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 851px) 100vw, 851px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/dominicraab\/status\/1193844958274498561?lang=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">stated<\/a>: \u201cWe hope that the current crisis in Bolivia can now be resolved swiftly, peacefully and in a democratic way. The Bolivian people deserve to have the opportunity to vote in free and fair elections.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Then Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn offered a completely different view, <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/jeremycorbyn\/status\/1193657983219257344?lang=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">saying<\/a>: \u201cI condemn this coup against the Bolivian people and stand with them for democracy, social justice and independence.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Raab proceeded to attack Corbyn, quote-tweeting him and <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/dominicraab\/status\/1193849113969864706?lang=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">stating<\/a>: \u201cUnbelievable. The Organisation of American States refused to certify the Bolivian election because of systemic flaws. The people are protesting and striking on an unprecedented scale. But @jeremycorbyn puts Marxist solidarity ahead of democracy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But Raab and the Foreign Office made no further comments as the new regime\u2019s forces carried out the Sacaba and Senkata massacres the following week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/norkhosq.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/grafik-23.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-34234\" width=\"580\" height=\"412\" srcset=\"https:\/\/norkhosq.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/grafik-23.png 850w, https:\/\/norkhosq.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/grafik-23-300x213.png 300w, https:\/\/norkhosq.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/grafik-23-768x546.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 580px) 100vw, 580px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In March 2020, four months after Morales was overthrown, the new regime was organising a series of new initiatives \u201cwith the UK as a strategic partner\u201d, the documents note.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That same month, Britain\u2019s ambassador during the coup, Jeff Glekin, offered a glimpse of the UK interests involved in backing the new regime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Glekin <a href=\"https:\/\/eju.tv\/2020\/03\/jeff-glekin-el-gobierno-anterior-no-estaba-a-favor-de-la-inversion-extranjera\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">spoke<\/a> to the Bolivian media about British Week, which was bringing 12 British companies to the country for the first time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cMany are looking for new markets in the world and Bolivia can be an opportunity to grow,\u201d he said. \u201cDue to the political changes in Bolivia, a more open environment for foreign investment is perceived and I believe that this will open new doors to companies that want to share their technology, their products and make alliances with different companies.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Glekin, who remains in post, added: \u201cWe are working with the Santa Cruz Mayor\u2019s Office \u2026 and we invite Santa Cruz corporations to participate in the event.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the documents seen by <em>Declassified<\/em>, a disproportionately high number of UK embassy projects have focused on the eastern city of Santa Cruz, which was the centre of opposition to Evo Morales\u2019 government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Glekin continued: \u201cThe previous government was not very in favour of foreign investment. So, with the changes that we are going to see, it will be easier to enter the market and do business. The companies to come are from different parts of Great Britain and from various sectors. They are modern firms that are doing innovative things and want to enter the market and share their services and products in Bolivia.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Glekin added: \u201cThe demand for lithium is growing and Bolivia must take advantage of that opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When new elections took place in October 2020, Evo Morales\u2019 <em>Movimiento al Socialismo<\/em> won <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/article\/bolivia-election\/bolivias-arce-pledges-to-rebuild-as-landslide-election-win-confirmed-idUSKBN27902N\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">55%<\/a> of the votes against six rivals on the ballot, easily avoiding the need for a runoff. The runner-up was former President Carlos Mesa with just under 29%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A Foreign Office spokesperson told <em>Declassified<\/em>: \u201cPresidential elections held in Bolivia in October 2020 were free and fair. There was no coup. The UK has a strong and constructive relationship with current and former Bolivian administrations.\u201d <strong><u>DM<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Matt Kennard is head of investigations at Declassified UK, an investigative journalism organisation that covers the UK\u2019s role in the world.&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Follow Declassified on<\/em> <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/declassifiedUK\" target=\"_blank\"><em>Twitter<\/em><\/a><em>,<\/em> <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Declassified-UK-104752184541377\/\" target=\"_blank\"><em>Facebook<\/em><\/a><em> and<\/em> <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UC9RMP_id1lChSSyLxg_VRqA\" target=\"_blank\"><em>YouTube<\/em><\/a><em>. Sign up to receive Declassified\u2019s monthly newsletter<\/em> <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymaverick.co.za\/declassified-uk-newsletter-signup\/\" target=\"_blank\"><em>here<\/em><\/a><em>. You can become a member and supporter of Declassified by visiting <\/em><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymaverick.co.za\/declassified-uk\/support-us\/\" target=\"_blank\"><em>here<\/em><\/a><em>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-daily-maverick wp-block-embed-daily-maverick\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps:\/\/www.dailymaverick.co.za\/article\/2021-03-08-revealed-the-uk-supported-the-coup-in-bolivia-to-gain-access-to-its-white-gold\/\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/de.scribd.com\/document\/497728721\/UK-Foreign-Office-documents-from-2015-20-documenting-a-range-of-programmes-run-by-the-British-embassy-in-Bolivia\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/de.scribd.com\/document\/497728721\/UK-Foreign-Office-documents-from-2015-20-documenting-a-range-of-programmes-run-by-the-British-embassy-in-Bolivia<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Matt Kennard\u2022 8 March 2021 After a coup in the South American country of Bolivia in November 2019, democratically elected president Evo Morales was forced to flee. Foreign Office&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":34227,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-34224","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/norkhosq.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34224","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/norkhosq.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/norkhosq.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/norkhosq.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/norkhosq.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=34224"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/norkhosq.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34224\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":34236,"href":"https:\/\/norkhosq.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34224\/revisions\/34236"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/norkhosq.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/34227"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/norkhosq.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=34224"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/norkhosq.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=34224"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/norkhosq.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=34224"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}