Bolivian official accuses US of role in jungle clash that left Morales supporters dead

A top Bolivian official on Oct. 24 accused the United States of backing armed anti-government groups in a violent jungle clash that left 15 people dead last month, including 13 supporters of leftist President Evo Morales. Presidential Minister Juan Ramon Quintana said that Bolivia would "denounce before the entire world" that the U.S. had "participated in the massacre" on Sept. 11 in the remote Amazonian province of Pando. Quintana did not provide any evidence for the charge or elaborate on what he meant by the word "participate," alleging only that the U.S. "accompanied the criminal policies" of Pando's opposition governor, Leopoldo Fernandez, who has since been jailed for allegedly fomenting the violence. Quintana also accused the U.S. Agency for International Development of unspecified "direct involvement" in the province. U.S. officials could not be reached for comment Friday night. Morales has frequently accused the U.S. and its aid programs of conspiring against his government. American officials have denied the charges.