The Bolivian Armed Forces (Spanish: Fuerzas Armadas de Bolivia) are the military of Bolivia. The Armed Forces of Bolivia are responsible for the defense, both of external and internal, of Bolivia, and they are constituted by the Bolivian Army, the Bolivian Air Force, and the Bolivian Navy. All these institutions are under the Ministry of Defense of Bolivia.
In addition to the Bolivian Army, the Bolivian Air Force and the Bolivian Navy, the Bolivian National Police, although dependent on the Ministry of Government in times of peace, is part of the reserves of the Armed Forces according to the Organic Law of the Armed Forces of this nation, together with other reserve bodies such as the SAR-FAB emergency and rescue units.
Figures on the size and composition of the armed forces of Bolivia vary considerably, with rare official data available. It is estimated, however, that the three main forces (army, navy, and air force) add up to a total of between 40,000 to 70,000 troops, while the Bolivian police would be around 40,000 troops.
High Command of the Armed Forces of Bolivia The roles and tenure of the High Command are described in the Organic Law of the Armed Forces (LOFA) which states that the hierarchy is subordinate to and appointed by the President of Bolivia, with the Minister of Defense acting as an intermediary between the President and the Armed Forces. Article 172 of the 2009 Constitution states that amongst the President's duties are "to designate and substitute the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces and the Commanders of the Army, the Air Force, and the Navy."
The current positions, appointed by interim president Jeanine Áñez Chávez on 13 Nov 2019 are as follows:
Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces: Gen. Carlos Orellana Centellas Military Chief of Staff: Pablo Arturo Guerra Camacho Commander of the Army: Gen. Iván Patricio Inchauste Commander of the Air Force: Ciro Orlando Álvarez Guzmán Commander of the Navy: Rear Admiral Moisés Orlando Mejía Heredia
Article 100 of the LOFA also states that these positions, and several others such as Chief of Police and Head of the Presidential, may be held "only once during the military career and for a time no greater than two years". This results in a fairly high turnover in the Bolivian High Command ,with continued service being prohibited by law. The last changes in High Command, under the previous President Evo Morales, occurred on 24 Dec 2018, 11 Dec 2017, 29 Dec 2016, 30 Dec 2015, 18 Dec 2014, 13 Dec 2013 and 3 Dec 2012.
Attempts to increase the maximum length of service for members of the High Command (and other positions) were made, unsuccessfully, under the Morales administration who wished to increase it to between 3 and 5 years.
Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces Portrait Name Term of office Defence branch Took office Left office Time in office GeneralVíctor Guzmán Bruno 14 August 1991 20 August 1992 GeneralOscar Vargas Lorenzetti 20 August 1992 15 December 1994 GeneralReynaldo Cáceres Quiroga 15 December 1994 1 November 1996 GeneralHernán Aguilera Bianchi 1 November 1996 14 November 1998 AdmiralJorge Zabala Ossio 14 November 1998 24 November 2000 GeneralAlvin Anaya Kippes 24 November 2000 8 August 2002 Divisional generalRoberto Claros Flores 8 August 2002 24 November 2003 Admiral 24 November 2003 14 June 2005 AdmiralMarco Antonio Justiniano Escalante 14 June 2005 24 January 2006 AdmiralJosé Luis Cabás Villegas 5 January 2009 24 January 2010 GeneralCarlos Ramiro de La Fuente Bloch 24 January 2010 22 March 2011 AdmiralArmando Pacheco Gutiérrez 22 March 2011 5 January 2012 GeneralTito Roger Gandarillas 5 January 2012 3 December 2012 GeneralEdwin de la Fuente 3 December 2012 14 December 2013 AdmiralVíctor Baldivieso Haché 14 December 2013 22 December 2014 GeneralOmar Jaime Salinas Ortuño 22 December 2014 30 December 2015 GeneralJuan Gonzalo Durán Flores 30 December 2015 29 December 2016 GeneralLuis Orlando Ariñez Bazán 29 December 2016 11 December 2017 AdmiralYamil Octavio Borda Sosa 11 December 2017 24 November 2018 GeneralWilliams Kaliman 24 November 2018 13 November 2019 GeneralCarlos Orellana Centellas 13 November 2019 29 December 2020 GeneralCésar Moisés Vallejos Rocha 29 December 2020 2021 GeneralVíctor Hugo Balderrama Quezada 13 November 2025 Incumbent
Army
The Bolivian Army (Ejército de Bolivia, EB) is the land branch of the armed forces of Bolivia. Together with the Bolivia army and air force, Bolivia is responsible for protecting Bolivia from internal and external threats and ensuring the independence of this country. The Bolivian Army has around 55,500 men. There are six military regions (regiones militares—RMs) in the army. The Army is organized into ten divisions. The Army maintains a small fleet of utility aircraft, primarily to support headquarters.
Combat units directly under the Army general command 1st Infantry Regiment Colorados (Presidential Guard) contains two battalions: BI-201 and BI-202 BATCOM-251, Gen. maintenance cen. no. 1 Transport batt. no. 1. 1st National parks Security Regiment
Special forces command The Special Forces command controls the following units:
12th Ranger Regt. "MANCHEGO", Montero 16th Infantry Regt. JORDAN, Riberalta (Special Forces) 18th Parachute Infantry Regiment VICTORIA "Army Special Troops Training Center", Cochabamba 24th Ranger Regiment (Mountain) MÉNDEZ ARCOS, Challapata
Army aviation command Army aviation company 291 (La Paz), Army Aviation Company 292 (Santa Cruz) 291st Cavalry Group (La Paz)
Regional The Bolivian Army has six military regions (regiones militares—RMs) covering the various departments of Bolivia:
RM 1, La Paz, most of La Paz Department: 1st Army Division, 297th MPB C.L.Saavedra (Military Police battalion), BE-296 CNL R.C.Zabalegui (ecological batt.), BE-297 (ecolog. batt.), BATLOG-1 (Logistics btn.), army aviation company 291 C.L.Cordoba, Mili. hospital no. 1, Military Police School, Army Equestrian Center, Military College of Bolivia "COL Gustavo Villaroel Lopez", Army School of Intelligence, Army Engineers School MCAL Antonio Jose de Sucre, Army Signals and Communications School, Army Armor School, Army 1st Engineering Regiment CPN Felipe Ochoa "Army Engineering and Maintenance Center", Bolivian Army Military School of Music "LTCOL Antonio Patino", 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment "Tarapaca" RM 2, Potosí, covering the departments of Oruro and Potosi: 2nd and 10th ADs, 24th RR M.Arcos (ranger regt.), ADA-202 (a.a. group), Army Mountain School RM 3, Tarija, consisting of Tarija Department and eastern Chuquisaca and southern Santa Cruz:3rd and 4th AD RM 4, Sucre, covering the departments of Cochabamba and northern Chuquisaca: 7th Army Division, 272nd MP Btn., BATLOG-2 (long.Batt), mili.hospital no2, Army Arsensals Cochabamba, Army Command and Staff College MSHL Antonio de Santa Cruz, Army NCO School "SGT M. Paredez", Army Artillery School, 18th PIR "Victoria" (Army Special Troops Training Center), Army NCOs and Warrant Officers Advance Studies Institute, Army Arms Applications School, 1LT Edmundo Andrade Military High School RM 5, Cobija, encompassing the Pando Department and parts of La Paz and Beni departments: 6th AD, 16th IR Jordan (special forces), Army Jungle Operations School RM 6, Santa Cruz, covering most of Santa Cruz Department: 5th and 8th ADs, BMP-273 R.Amezaga (Military Police), BE-298 (ecological batt.), 12th RR Manchego (ranger), BATLOG-3 (logist. batt.), 292 army aviation company, Bolivian Condores school (special forces), 6th IR
Army divisions The army is organized into ten territorial divisions plus a mechanized division, each of which, with the exception of Viacha, occupy a region generally corresponding to the administrative departments, with some overlapping. These and their respective divisional headquarters and constituent units are: 1st Mechanized Division, Viacha (La Paz Department): 1st Field Artillery Regiment "Camacho", 6th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 23rd IR (Mechanized Infantry Training), 4th IR Tarapaca (Mech.) 5th ACR, 2nd ACR (Training), 1st Armor Regiment 1st AD, Viacha (La Paz Department): 8th IR Ayacucho, RI 30 Murillo (mountain), RA 2 Bolivar, Bat.Ing. 2 G.F.Roman. 2nd AD, Oruro: 21st IR Illimani (Mountain), RI 22 Mejillones, 25th RI (Mountain) Tocopilla, RC 8 Braun, 1st Artillery Regt. Camacho, Bat.Ing. 7 Sajama. 3rd AD, Villamontes (Tarija Department): 5th IR Campero, RI 20 Padilla, RC 3 Aroma, RA 3 Pisagua, Bat.Ing. 1 Chorolque. 4th AD, Camiri (Santa Cruz Department):, 6th Infantry Regiment Campos, RI 11 Boqueron, 1st Cavalry Regt. "E. Avaroa", RA 4 Bullian 5th AD, Roboré (Santa Cruz Department): RI 13 Montes, RI 14 Florida, RI 15 Junin, RC 6 Castrillo, RA 5 Vergara 6th AD, Trinidad: RI 17 Indepedencia, RI 29 Echevarria, RI 31 Rios, RI 32 Murguia, 2nd Cavalry Regt. Ballivan, 8th AR Mendez(reserve), Bat.Ing. 6 Riosinho. 7th Army Division, Cochabamba (the largest):, 2nd Infantry Regiment "Marshal Antonio Jose de Sucre", 18th Parachute Infantry Regiment "Victoria" (Army Special Troops Training Center), RI 26 R.Barrientos (mech.) 29th PIR "CPT V.Ustariz" (airborne), RA 7 Tumusia, Bat.Ing.5 T.N.Ovando 8th AD, Santa Cruz: RI 7 Marzana, RI 10 Warnes (mech.), RC 10 G.M.J.M. Mercado, RA 9 Mitre (reserve), Bat.Ing. 3 Pando. 9th AD (Reserve), Rurrenabaque: the Division has been reduced to reserve status and its component units have been divided up between DE-1 and DE-6 10th AD, Tupiz: 3rd IR "Juan Jose Perez", RI 4 Loa, RI 27 Antofagasta, 7th ACR Chichas (Armored Cavalry), RA 12 Ayohuma (reserve)
RI: infantry regiment RC: cavalry regiment RA: artillery regiment Bat.Ing.: battalion engineer
Army organized has ten divisions controlling the following units:
eight cavalry regiments, included two mechanized regiments twenty-three infantry regiments included two airborne and two mountain one recce. mechanized regiments and one armored regiments two ranger regiments one special forces regiments six and three reserve artillery regiments one artillery and antiaircraft group one artillery and antiaircraft Regiment three military police battalions three ecological battalions two army aviation companies six engineer battalions Plus logistical and instructional support commands Presidential Guard (Colorado) infantry battalion under direct control of the army headquarters in La Paz's Miraflores district
The Army maintains a small fleet of utility aircraft, primarily to support headquarters.
Equipment of the Army
Land equipment