BOLIVIA · CORRUPTION PROBE
Key Facts
- The country Bolivia, an Andean nation led by President Rodrigo Paz, arrested ex-defense minister Edmundo Novillo in La Paz.
- What happened Novillo was held on Thursday 29 October 2026 after giving a statement to prosecutors.
- The case A 2016 air-defense contract of more than US$213 million, with a possible state loss of US$123 million.
- His answer Novillo says he is innocent and calls the arrest unjust. No court has found anyone guilty.
- Power Index Bolivia ranks 12th of 14 in The Rio Times Latin America Power Index, with 28.4 points (October 2026 edition).
Bolivia arrested ex-defense minister Edmundo Novillo on Thursday 29 October 2026 in La Paz, in a corruption probe over 13 radars bought in 2016. Novillo says he is innocent, and no court has found anyone guilty.
The case matters to US readers because Bolivia’s new government is auditing old state contracts while it seeks closer ties with Washington. Companies selling to Bolivian state buyers should expect past deals to be reviewed.
What Happened
The ex-defense minister went to the prosecutors’ office in La Paz shortly before noon on Thursday to give a statement. A prosecutor ordered his arrest when he finished, and police took him to cells at about 3:30 p.m.
The cells belong to the Felcc, Bolivia’s special police force against crime, and he now waits for a precautionary-measures hearing. At that hearing a judge decides whether he stays in custody.
Novillo came in voluntarily, and he said, “I am innocent, I have presented all my defences.” He called the arrest unjust, and his lawyers say they will take legal action.
The case concerns Sidacta, a Spanish abbreviation for an integrated air-defense and air-traffic-control network. Bolivia signed the contract in August 2016 with the French company Thales Air Systems, as our explainer describes.
The deal covered 13 radars and control centres for more than 191 million euros (about US$213 million). It was meant to be delivered in 31 months and took about 98.
The Defense Ministry filed a criminal complaint on Thursday 15 October 2026 after an internal audit, covered in our first story on the complaint. It names 19 people, including four former defense ministers, and alleges a possible state loss of Bs 1.478 billion (about US$123 million).
What the Investigators Say
Novillo served under President Luis Arce, who governed until November 2025, and signed two of the seven amendments to the contract. Vice-Minister Yamil García, the government’s transparency official, spoke about them on Thursday.
García said one amendment added reimbursable expenses for the contractor, although a turnkey contract fixes one price for a finished system. He also said an on-site inspection found that about 60 percent of the project does not work.
The ministry’s audit counted only two of the 13 radars as working without observations. Nine work with observations and two do not work at all.
Accounts of the exact offences differ and include breach of duties, uneconomic conduct, contracts harmful to the state and economic damage. The complaint lists four alleged offences, and a complaint asks prosecutors to investigate, which is not a finding of guilt.
Why It Matters
This ex-defense minister’s arrest reaches across three governments, since the contract was signed under President Evo Morales and amended under Áñez and Arce. It also tests President Rodrigo Paz, in office since November 2025, who says his government will pursue officials of every camp.
Deputy Claudia Bilbao of the PDC party called the arrest due process, not political persecution. She asked why other former ministers are not held.
The radars are meant to watch Bolivian airspace, including for illegal flights linked to drug trafficking. The government says a technical audit will aim to repair the system while the probe continues, as our guide to the next steps explains.
What It Means for You
If you are a US traveler, nothing changes, because no authority has said flights or airport operations are affected. The US State Department’s usual advice on Bolivia still applies.
If you sell equipment or services to Bolivian state bodies, expect auditors to look again at old contracts and their amendments. Investors in Bolivian debt or state firms can read the case as a sign that the Paz government will act against past officials.
What Is Not Known
The date of the precautionary-measures hearing has not been announced, and it is not clear whether the judge will order jail, house arrest or release. Prosecutors have not published the full list of charges in the arrest order.
It is not known whether the other three ex-defense ministers named in the complaint will be summoned or detained. The calculation of the Bs 1.478 billion loss (about US$123 million) is unexplained, and the French contractor has not commented in the sources we reviewed.
More: Bolivia news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Edmundo Novillo?
He was Bolivia’s defense minister under former President Luis Arce, who governed until November 2025. He was arrested on 29 October 2026 in the radar case and says he is innocent.
What is the radars case?
It is a probe of a 2016 contract for 13 air-defense and air-traffic radars worth more than US$213 million. The government alleges a possible loss of about US$123 million and says many radars do not work as agreed.
Has Novillo been convicted?
No. He has been arrested and awaits a hearing on precautionary measures. No court has found anyone guilty in this case.
Sources: Ministerio de Defensa del Estado Plurinacional de Bolivia, 29 October 2026; Procuraduría General del Estado de Bolivia, 29 October 2026; Ministerio Público de Bolivia (Fiscalía General del Estado), 29 October 2026.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief
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