Why rare beetles are being smuggled to Japan at an alarming rate

Eduardo Franco Berton reports for the National Geographic: Big-horned rhinoceros beetles, taken from from Bolivia, are ending up in Japan’s illegal pet trade—and in beetle wrestling matches. COROICO, BOLIVIA“We need dark nights—they don’t come when the moon is out,” Reynaldo Zambrana explains. “First comes the female, and then the male. One must run to grab…

evo allowed this to happen: loan shark extortion!

‘Gota a Gota’ Extortionists Expand in Bolivia by Preying on Venezuela Migrants Written by Connectas via InSight Crime: Bolivian authorities were taken by surprise on November 7, 2018, when they captured three Venezuelans during an operation to dismantle a “gota a gota” loan shark network, a criminal activity connected to Colombian mafias. Five months earlier,…

Bolivian Prosecutor’s office is a declared enemy of our biodiversity!

El Diario reports: Prosecutor would not open case for illegal sale of vicuña fiber   The Environmental Forestry Police (Pofoma) denounced that the Prosecutor’s Office did not want to receive the report for the illegal sale of vicuña fiber, a species in danger of extinction. “When we detained this person (Elena M) and we sent…

Bolivian Children In Jail, But They’ve Committed No Crime

Tracey Eaton reports for the Pulitzer Center: In Jail, But They’ve Committed No Crime LA PAZ, Bolivia – Inside the massive prison walls, a stairway led to the roof where a girl in pink and three other children played with an improvised toy, a big blue barrel. [to watch this video, please use the link…