Bolivia military plane crash kills six amid political crisis

A Bolivian Air Force Cessna Turbo 210 (registration FAB‑409) crashed in the Cerro Sayari mountains of the Cochabamba department while on a La Paz–Cochabamba flight, killing all six occupants – four servicemen and two civilians. The Ministry of Defense confirmed the loss and the Joint Accident Investigation Board (JIAA) was tasked with determining the cause. The aircraft had departed El Alto International Airport and lost contact with air‑traffic control before its wreckage was found on the mountain slope.

The crash occurred as President Rodrigo Paz Pereira was enforcing a nationwide state of emergency following weeks of road blockades linked to supporters of former president Evo Morales. While officials described the mission as “civic action,” some sources said the plane was surveying blockade points. The incident adds a humanitarian toll to the already tense political and social environment in Bolivia.