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Friday, November 23, 2012

Mexican Narcos Dominate Bolivia

Borderland Beat



Buenos Aires, Argentina (Nov. 21, 2012) Ayda Levy, penned the highly anticipated book, El Rey de la Cocaína, (The King of Cocaine: My Life with Roberto Suárez Gómez and the Birth of the Narco state," released Tuesday in Buenas Aires. The book chronicles the adventures of  Roberto Suárez Gómez known back in the eighties as "The King of Cocaine," and regarded by many as the one primarily responsible for the expansion of cocaine trafficking in Bolivia in the seventies and eighties. 

At 76, Levy decided to break her long silence and tell their story because she was "tired of hearing and reading a thousand and one lies about the life of Roberto Suarez," she declared at the launch of her book in Buenos Aires. 

Ayda married Roberto Suarez in 1958, then a successful cattleman. No one could have predicted that 20 years later her husband would be one of the major drug traffickers in South America, and closely associated with Pablo Escobar. Suarez would lead what became known as "the Corporation" helping lay the foundation of a "narco-state." "Roberto was a true idealist. He blindly believed in social justice, and the eradication of poverty.  I loved him, respected him, but when I discovered his involvement in drug trafficking activities, I left," Levy added. 

Despite the separation, the couple kept in close contact.  Ayda recorded every account of her husband, dates, names and documents, "She wrote down everything and also has a prodigious memory." She managed all the family's legal business, as well as all the farm business." remarked their son Gary.

An interview with Gary Suárez Gómez is included in his mother's book, El Rey de la Cocaína, Mi vida con Roberto Suárez Gómez y el Nacimiento del Primer Narcoestado"Today Bolivia is full of Mexican narcos."  With these words,  Gary Suárez Gómez, also son of Roberto Suarez offers a portrayal of the exponential growth of Mexican cartels in Latin America.  

"In the eighties there were drugs in Mexico,  but it was more drugs being transported through Mexico rather than staying in the country."

"It was the Colombian cartels who were the ones using these corridors.  That was up until the Mexicans realized that they were the big neighbors of the United States and took control. Today Bolivia is inundated with Mexicans "working" in the country," Gary Suárez Gómez  told Reforma.


Roberto Suárez's relationship with Mexican politicians as well as the incipient local cartels is detailed in Levy's book through the mythical leader of the Medellín Cártel, Pablo Escobar Gaviria.

According to the narration, in May 1981, Gonzalo Rodríguez Gacha, Escobar's right hand man, got a permit from Quintana Roo state authorities to allow their traffickers leaving from the port  of Barranquilla to land and refuel their planes and boats on the island of Cozumel.


The month before, on April 5th, 1981 Pedro Joaquin Coldwell, became Governor of the state of Quintana Roo, presently, Pedro Joaquin Coldwell is the national leader of PRI.

Pedro Joaquin Caldwell. President of PRI
"From the Maya Riviera , they would cross the Gulf of Mexico to the Florida keys where they would transition the merchandise, said  Levy in her book that was released worldwide for sale yesterday.

In this way, the drugs produced in Bolivia by Suárez Gómez assured their arrival into the United States, "Without depending on the mood of the Bahamian authorities or the confiscation by the Cuban Navy."

"The relationship with Mexico was only with the Colombian cartels," explained Gary Suárez Gómez, "Mexico was just one of the routes that they used.  Going by way of Mexican land, air or water,  whatever the mode of transportation, it was organized by the Colombians.  That was not my father's task."

Gary Suárez Gómez contrasted the former leadership and conduct of his father during his  years of glory with the style of certain key capos of Mexican cartel leaders today like "El Chapo Guzmán."

"My father was a man of principles who helped his community," he stated. Both the ex-wife and his son highlighted the big donations to education that "El Rey de la Cocaina" made to the poor in eastern Bolivia.

"All the town would take care of him and hide him," he told the media, when he was reminded of an anecdote about how "the Robin Hood of Bolivia," as the drug dealer who died of a heart attack in 2000, was also known, who once was hidden from the police by   employees of a hospital so he could undergo an appendectomy.

"There is a big difference," he said when he was asked for a comparison between local traffickers and his father, who was an industrial farmer and a rich land baron before he entered world of drug trafficking.

"The big narcos of the past had invested in their communities but set goals. Pablo Escobar wanted to get involved in politics.  My father was never a candidate for anything," Gary Suárez Gómez said.  While discussing his father's "philanthropy," he denied the popular myth that Suárez Gómez offered to pay Bolivia's external debt. 

"Neither has he been linked to any violent acts,"  though Suárez Gómez 's oldest son and Gary's brother was assassinated in a confrontation with police and remains unsolved


"At the time, he had bodyguards who protected him but they were not sicarios or murderers.  He has had relationships with armed gunmen, but never in his life were there accusations of killing or murder attempts as happen in Mexico." he said.


Ayda Levy spilled secrets in El Rey de la Cocaína, sorting the numerous multi-faceted relationships between her ex-husband and, influential politicians and even Vatican bankers.  Among many others  relationships examined are Klaus Barbie "the butcher of Lyon," the ex-Gestapo exiled in Bolivia mentioned as linked to the Bolivian dictatorship who Suárez Gómez is known to have helped finance, as well as the Cuban regime, the Lieutenant Colonel Oliver North, who belonged to the National Security Council of the United States.


Source: Reforma,  Ntnoticias, y Mas info.

16 comments:

  1. Goood Story!!
    thanks for the read
    Tejas,,,

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  2. Deluded family - looking for the good in Robin "king of coke'Hood.

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  3. Havana, fascinating story. He may not have "directly" killed anyone but I'd bet my life that his coke either killed or ruined tons of lives. She seem to glorify him, as opposed to comparing him to other drug lords. So, he is a better person than the current groups? If it weren't so tragic, I might laugh. As for the Mexican cartels controlling Boliva, check out insightcrime.com. They maybe doing alot of business there but they still buy it from them and there neighbors. Informative but I wouldn't spend a penny on book written by a dead drug lord's ex-wife of many years. I'd rather spend the money on an innocent starving child. But, as always I learned something. Thanks.

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  4. I'd read the book though Gary sounds "off."

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  5. No gore in this one but it is a good read and a nice change anyway. Interesing makes we want to read more as long as they're not trying to make him a saint

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  6. There was about two or three sentences in the article regarding mexican cartels in bolivia.. the title is a bit misleading.

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  7. They need to kill every single criminal cartel member in Mexico!

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  8. Theres two ways to traffic. One-Be merciless and kill anyone in your way, or for any reason you can come up with. Two- fly under the radar and achieve your goals without violence. Like I've said before, traffic all you want, but the violence is not necessary. They have been doing it for years without much at all, and they made millions. For doing such a terrible thing, they did it the most "noble" out of any traffickers. My neighbor flew his cesna with 100 kilos every 3 days from the bahamas, jamaica, DR,PR, and other spots in the carribean for years without any violence at all. He was never threatned, never saw anything. I just don't understand why it is the way it is now. Havana, or chivis, is it true that all this violence (mexico wise) really got started in the early 90's? Anyways, i went out and bought the book and I like what I've read so far. And to all those that see traffickers as peices of shit, well, they arent all bad, a lot have done more for the community, more for individual people than any politician ever has. Not all are murderers. I'm not saying theyre rightious in anyway, but they are doing a job, and paying the bills. I can speak on this cause I have first hand knowledge. They (myself at one time included) have bills to pay, mouths to feed, family who are sick and cant afford operations just like everyone else. And you'd be surprised to know that most hold down 40hr a week jobs, any pay thier taxes on what is legally earned. Don't be so quick to judge, and put a group of people that are quite diverse under one banner (racism works in the same way. Are you racist also?), and hate them when you don't know individual stories, and reasons for why they do what they do... Just a thought..

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    1. Dan- Did you MISS THE PART WHERE HE WAS A SUCCESSFUL RANCHER BEFORE HE BECAME A DRUG LORD?? Also, you and others who choose to poison children will be judged eventually. All drug dealing effects innocents due to deaths,families torn apart etc. I am a lover of all races, I was raised that way. This is about greed and death. Bless all the innocents who have been killed thanks to ALL DRUG DEALERS. Thanks Havana and BB for the story.

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  9. Dan...

    Which book? Last Narco?
    Chapo was never a sucessful rancher if that is who 7:28 is speaking of. He was a Illiterate dirt poor person from the sierras. That aside, when Padrino was incarcerated he divided up the plazas. Which establishes competition, and petition invites conflict. SO in real sense that is where the war began.
    Calderon did not start the drugwar he began the war against the drugwar. He should be applauded for his efforts. Before Calderon those in power turned a blind eye to trafficking making a deal with the devil in exchange for peace to traffic drugs to the US, not giving a rats ass what it did to the American youth.
    But there is no turning back. The evolution of the “drugwar” would have brought an increase in death no matter who was at the helm. I think it would have been worse without Calderon. Why? Greed! Plain and simple the “I want some for me” so many gangs and cartels and enforcer groups of all sizes sprung up, far more than anyone could ever predict back in the 90s. As they struggle for a piece of the narco pie, small territorial wars ensued, and they are endless. In places of conflict with police and armed forces against narcos if the struggle was not with them it would be against other cartels fighting for various plazas. Often the conflict of the government/narco is side by side of narco/narco.

    There is no going back to the way things were, and if Mexico is to gain developed nation status it can’t go back to the way it was The playing field has changed, it would be playing soccer on a baseball diamond very diffent game now.

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  10. Great story mexican cartels shoud pay attention violence should b the last resort to avoid rivals from lineing up on you other then that it is just heat this guy did his thing in the 80s n am jus hearing about him now thats a smart business man mexican cartels are starting to lose focus on buisness to bizzy killing the whole family the dog and the goldfish

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  11. I think 7:28 is referring to the Bolivian

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  12. @7:28- Aw Shucks, you really got me on that one.. What about my comment lead you to believe I didn't read that little tid bit of info? I wasn't commenting towards what havana wrote, i was commenting towards a comment i didnt agree with. But nice try. And I never knew marijuana killed? Can you please show me an example? And I promise you, I never sold 100 pounds of weed to a child. Do you know children with that kind of money who are in the game? If you do, you should probably try and stop those kids. (that was sarcasm). And I can definitively say trafficking in marijuana did not ruin, poison, or break apart families. And I'm an athiest so I don't think I will be judged by anyone. I'll die, then be incenerated, then put in the ground. The only person judging me is you. Are you without sin? (bible reference incase you didnt get it, I'm a very sarcastic person btw)

    Chivis- Thank you for the brief history on the catalyst! You said he should be applauded- do you believe he has some role to play with sinaloa? Or do you think he's managed to remain independent from cartel influence?

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  13. dan

    my comment was poorly stated about the rancher that part was not for you.
    ans MJ has never caused a death from the drug itself that i am aware of...paz

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  14. Chivis i know, just had to respond to the comment that tried to call me out.. :D

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