From what I had read, La Paz was a place where you could find all kinds of trouble. The stories from the Bolivian capitol were all about corrupt police, drugs, cab drivers robbing travelers, teenage prostitutes, and people who generally hate you. The following is from the US State Department Website:
Express Kidnappings are common in La Paz and two temporary duty personnel of the U.S. Embassy were recent victims of such incidents. The areas where these crimes are most known to occur include Plaza Humbolt (Zona Sur) and Plaza Abaroa, Plaza del Estudiante, Plaza Isabel La Catolica (all downtown). These incidents typically occur when the victim boards a taxi in which the driver is an accomplice. Once the victim is inside, an additional person or two (the kidnappers) board the vehicle. At this point, the victim is robbed of his belongings and/or driven to an ATM machine where he is forced to provide PIN numbers for debit and credit card withdrawals. Recommended tips to avoid becoming a victim include using only radio taxis which one calls in advance and not traveling alone, particularly if under the influence of alcohol or out late at night.
The Coronilla Hill, a Cochabamba landmark adjacent to the main Bus Terminal and near several markets, hostels, and restaurants, has become an increasingly dangerous place for tourists and local citizens alike. The local police, tourist authorities, and press have declared the area off limits and cautioned people to enter the area at their own peril. U.S. citizens have been assaulted in the area. The police have made several sweeps of the area in an attempt to bring the population of street people, most of whom are reportedly drug addicts and alcohol abusers, under control. Nonetheless, incidents of crime continue. Police reports indicate that the thieves in that area have gone from purse snatching and burglary to increasingly violent assaults on passersby. The Embassy therefore recommends that U.S. citizens avoid this area.
Beginning in June 2007, the U.S. Embassy in La Paz began receiving reports of U.S. citizens traveling by bus from Copacabana to La Paz being kidnapped and robbed of their ATM cards and other valuables. This crime reportedly involves U.S. citizens taking an evening bus from Copacabana. While the bus is scheduled to stop at the La Paz bus terminal, the driver will stop short of that location, typically near the General Cemetery late at night. Disembarking and disoriented passengers then have little option but to hail a waiting taxi. Thieves in collusion with the taxi driver enter the taxi to blindfold and coerce the U.S. citizen(s) into surrendering cash, cameras, ATM cards, and other valuables. U.S. citizen victims to date report that once the thieves withdrew funds using the ATM cards the U.S. citizens were released without further harm. U.S. citizens traveling from Copacabana should try to arrive during daylight hours, verify the final destination, and buy tickets directly at the Copacabana bus terminal rather than from third parties.
Bolivian police state that there are eight organized criminal groups operating in the La Paz area. The techniques employed by these groups vary, but there are a few major patterns that can be identified.
There have been reports of “false police” -- persons using police uniforms, identification, and even buildings modified to resemble police stations -- intercepting and robbing foreign tourists including U.S. citizens. Under Bolivian law, police need a warrant from the “fiscal” or prosecutor to detain a suspect. Any searches or seizures must occur at a bona fide police station in the presence of the fiscal. The warrant requirement also applies to suspected drug trafficking cases, although such searches and seizures may occur without a fiscal present. If detained, U.S. citizens should request to see the warrant and demand immediate contact with the nearest U.S. Consular Services (in La Paz, Cochabamba or Santa Cruz).
According to press reports, criminals using the “false police” method focus on foreigners in areas frequented by tourists including bus terminals and tourist markets such as Sagarnaga Street in La Paz. The perpetrators will identify a potential victim and have an accomplice typically driving a white taxi offer taxi services to the potential victim. They focus on European/American tourists who are not wearing a traditional “trekker” backpack and are traveling without a large number of bags. A few blocks after the potential victim boards the taxi another accomplice, pretending to be a recently arrived tourist, boards the taxi with the potential victim. With all the accomplices then in place, the “false police” stop the taxi, “search” the passengers, and rob the victim. As part of this scam, the false police may take the victim to a “false police” station.
A similar variation also introduces a “tourist” to the victims. This introduction can take place on a bus, taxi, train, or just walking down the street. The “tourist” will befriend the victims and might seek assistance in some manner. After a period of time, the “police” intercept the victims and the “tourist.” At this point, the “police” discover some sort of contraband (usually drugs) on the “tourist.” The entire group is then taken to the “police station.” At this point, the “police” seize the documents, credit cards, and ATM cards of the victims. The perpetrators obtain pin numbers, sometimes by threat of violence, and the scam is complete.
Another technique again introduces a “tourist” to the victims. This “tourist” can be any race or gender and will probably be able to speak the language of the victims. This meeting can happen anywhere and the goal of the “tourist” is to build the trust of the victims. Once a certain level of trust is obtained, the “tourist” suggests a particular mode of transportation to a location (usually a taxi). The “taxi” picks up the victims and the “tourist” and delivers the group to a safe house in the area. At this point the victims are informed that they are now kidnapped and are forced to give up their credit cards and ATM cards with pin numbers.
Bolivian police sources state that two Austrian citizens fell victim to this scam and had their bank accounts emptied through use of their ATM card. The perpetrators then suffocated the victims and buried them in clandestine graves, where police found their bodies on April 3, 2006. During that timeframe, a Spanish citizen also purportedly fell prey to this scam, and his body was found nearby.
In most instances, the victims are released, but violence is always a possibility. The techniques and the perpetrators are convincing. Authentic uniforms, badges, and props help persuade the victims that the situation is real and valid. All tourists visiting Bolivia should exercise extreme caution. If the tourist has doubts about a situation, the tourist should immediately remove him/herself from the scene. Thefts of bags, wallets, and backpacks are a problem throughout Bolivia, but especially in the tourist areas of downtown La Paz and the Altiplano. Most thefts involve two or three people who spot a potential victim and wait until the bag or backpack is placed on the ground, often at a restaurant, bus terminal, Internet café, etc. In other cases, the thief places a disagreeable substance on the clothes or backpack of the intended victim, and then offers to assist the victim with the removal of the substance. While the person is distracted, the thief or an accomplice grabs the bag or backpack and flees. In such a situation, the visitor should decline assistance, secure the bag/backpack, and walk briskly from the area. To steal wallets and bags, thieves may spray water on the victim's neck, and while the person is distracted, an accomplice takes the wallet or bag. At times the thief poses as a policeman, and requests that the person accompany him to the police station, using a nearby taxi. The visitor should indicate a desire to contact the U.S. Embassy and not enter the taxi. Under no circumstances should you surrender ATM or credit cards, or release a PIN number. While most thefts do not involve violence, in some instances the victim has been physically harmed and forcibly searched for hidden valuables. This is particularly true in “choke and rob” assaults where the victims, including U.S. citizens, reported being choked from behind until they lost consciousness and later awoke to find all of their possessions gone. These assaults have happened during both day and night. Visitors should avoid being alone on the streets, especially at night and in isolated areas.
Well now that's encouraging. Why would anyone go there? Good question. The thing is, you can't take the State Department Website as the gospel. If you do, you will never leave your house. OK, you will leave your house but you will only go to Cancun. And I can't go to Cancun. Ever. But these travel advisories do make you think and I believe that is where their true value lies. The one takeaway is that you need to think and be aware of your surroundings and always pay attention. Paying attention is more than half the battle. People get into trouble and bad situations in these places simply by not paying attention. They walk around with their face in a map or a guidebook. They get distracted and leave openings for bad people. They wander into the wrong neighborhood. They carry too much shit. And the bad people are always watching you in a place like La Paz. You have to know it. And you have to be thinking about it every time you leave your hotel or hostel - "people are watching me, looking for an opening." If someone really wants to rob you, they're going to rob you. Sometimes you can't do anything about it and you are just in the wrong place at the wrong time. What you can do is try to make yourself a less attractive target than the next guy. And looking around, I generally find that I am a less attractive target than others. There is always someone more stupid than me (generally many) wherever I travel and I can guarantee that people are carrying more shit than me. You can't eliminate danger but you can mitigate it. My camera did get stolen later in Bolivia. Totally my fault. I'll talk about it in the Sucre section. But fortunately for me and others like me, there are enough total morons in the world who usually provide cover.
Driving into La Paz is a shock to the senses. The chaos and poverty strikes you as you reach the suburbs - traffic, roads closed for no apparent reason, garbage, crumbling homes, thousands of people in the streets, and, for us at least, a giant protest of some kind. I never found out what it was for but most protests in Latin America involve farmers and/or teachers. The two represent some of the most hard-working and underpaid people in all of the countries. They also team up a lot on protests and often times the truck and bus drivers support them which leads to total shut downs of cities. The locals generally just shrug off the inconvenience and make due. Fortunately we were catching the tail end of a multi day protest so the roads were opening up and the cops and soldiers were putting away their guns and tear gas.
La Paz is one of the few places in which I have arrived with such a sense of disbelief. The bus would its way through town and dropped us off at what appeared to be an arbitrary location on a street corner. With our bags in hand and US State Dept warnings in our head, we made sure that we grabbed a legitimate taxi after letting several of the questionable ones pass that nonetheless kept trying to pick us up. Our driver was a curious, toothless, amiable guy who had a million questions for us. He couldn't quite get his head around the fact that Roos wasn't my wife or girlfriend and we were traveling together. I didn't catch all that he said but I'm pretty sure he concluded that only a homosexual would travel with a cute European girl without having sex with her. In any case, the first person we encountered in La Paz was welcoming and friendly and seemed genuinely concerned about or safety as he also told us to be careful. He mostly said we should watch our stuff. We found all of the other locals we met in Bolivia to be honest and hard working people, if they could find work. I wouldn't characterize them as friendly overall but definitely polite and all willing to help. The friendly thing is also probably part cultural bias. They are much more reserved than westerners overall. But I certainly never felt like I was about to be kidnapped.
I have not had a computer for almost a month (beer in keyboard) so I am getting further and further behind. I am borrowing a computer and will either get mine fixed or buy another. I will know tomorrow.
