Bolivia plans to buy six Chinese light military aircraft worth nearly $58 million to fight drug traffickers in the world's No 3 cocaine producer, leftist President Evo Morales said on Saturday. "Last week we issued a supreme decree to ... acquire six K-8 aircraft from China," said Morales in a speech in La Paz to mark the 52nd anniversary of the Bolivian air force.
Morales said his government decided to acquire the K-8, a jet trainer that can be used as a light attack aircraft, after the US government blocked the country from buying similar planes from the Czech Republic. Morales' main regional ally, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, is also buying Chinese K-8 to be used to pursue cocaine flights. They replace a purchase of Brazilian Super Tucanos blocked by a US arms embargo.
Bolivia, which is the third largest producer of the white powder drug after Colombia and Peru, has been at odds with Washington after Morales expelled the US ambassador and anti-drug agents on charges of conspiring to overthrow him.