MINISTER FOR Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin last night insisted on Ireland’s right to raise questions with Bolivia about the death of a citizen in Santa Cruz on the basis of “prima facie evidence . . . sufficient to raise questions in relation to the description of events released by the Bolivian authorities”.
Mr Martin denied suggestions made in Bolivia that Irishman Michael Dwyer, who was shot dead by Bolivian police in a hotel last Thursday, either had a criminal record in Ireland or had ever been a member of the Irish Army.
He said in strongly-worded statement that “Ireland had no involvement in or has no sympathy for any action designed to destabilise Bolivia or threaten the security of its democratically elected president”.
The Minister was responding to comments on Tuesday from Bolivia’s president, Evo Morales, that appeared to reject calls for an international inquiry into the shooting to death of the three men, including Dwyer, in Santa Cruz. Mr Morales had suggested that countries such as Ireland which had supported such an inquiry “are the ones who sent them here to attack democracy”.
Mr Martin was last night due to speak directly to Bolivian foreign minister David Choquehuanca Céspedes to express Ireland’s desire to see the matter of an inquiry pursued.
In his statement, the Minister said that “the Irish Government has not the remotest desire of getting involved in the internal political situation in Bolivia. Our interest relates exclusively to the fact that an Irish citizen was killed by the Bolivian state security forces in particularly violent circumstances.” Mr Martin noted that “Michael Dwyer was identified to the media by name and nationality and gruesome newsreel of his dead body displayed on the international media before any contact was made with the Irish Embassy.
“The Irish Government has a legitimate right to seek the facts of how one of its citizens came to be killed by the security forces of another state, particularly where prima facie evidence is sufficient to raise questions in relation to the description of events released by the Bolivian authorities.
“The Bolivian authorities have made serious allegations against Michael Dwyer. I have no idea of how he came to be in Bolivia, and in the company of the other persons who were either killed or arrested by the Bolivian security forces. However, I am clear that he had no criminal record in Ireland and that he was not, as has been suggested in Bolivia, a former member of the Irish Army.
“The Irish Government is simply interested in establishing the facts.Michael Dwyer’s bereaved family and friends deserve to know the truth. Ireland stands ready to co-operate fully with the Bolivian authorities in the investigation of this matter.” The Minister expressed his gratitude for co-operation that Irish officials have received on the ground in Bolivia from the authorities.
