Sucre and the Bolivian Legal System
On our first full day here H, Jess and I went to the Tourist Police station to report the theft. After a few minutes explaining what happened some guy took us to the other side of town, to the local Police Station, where we had to explain again what had happened. All along the way Jess had helped us wth her Spanish, but this is where she really came into her own.
Now having your bag stolen from you in an English speaking country is one thing, but this is Bolivia!! It was a complete nightmare and very exhausting. In order to make an insurance claim I thought I needed to get a stamp from the police authority to whom I reported the incident. Jess spent the first two hours trying to explain this to a number of different policemen (if you can call them that!) but they didn't seem at all interested. As far as they were concerned the theft happened in Uyuni and it had nothing to do with them. We tried telling them that the insurance company in England would not ask for an investigation to be carried out, especially in Bolivia, and that all I needed was a stamp. One of the guys was particularly unpleasant - a short, fat, greasy Bolivian on a powertrip sat behind his desk in this crappy room. The only thing on the desk was the stamp I needed! At one point, when he left the room I nearly stamped it myself, but that could have involved spending some time in a Bolivian police cell if I´d been caught...or pay a hefty fine. We sat it out.
They were determined not to help me out and after going round and round in circles the inevitable happened. It was time to offer a bribe. We had been told by one guy, who we think was the chief, that there is a lot of corruption in the Bolivian police and that he wasn´t interested in a bribe. Twenty minutes later he was asking for 10 Boliviano's (80p) for a stamp. Of course I was willing to pay. It seemed like he wanted to keep it quiet from the short fat man so we promised to keep quiet. Eventually we got the stamp and left.
As we walked down the road H read the insurance claim form. It turned out that I hadn´t read it properly and we needed a signed police statement. It was time to go back in. I went on my own as the girls had had enough. I walked into the same room as before and the atmosphere was completely different. I don´t know if it was because the girsl werent there (maybe they didn´t like the fact that Jess gave as good as she got) but as soon as I asked for a letter they immediately played ball, so long as I gave them 20 Boliviano´s, which I did. The chief took my passport and gave it to this secretary who began to write down my details. They then ushered me into this other room but I wasn´t going anywhere without the passport. The chief then pretended to run off with it. Tosser!
It was then time to go through again what had got stolen, but because Jess wasn´t there, I had to do so myself in what Spanish I know. It took a good hour and a half but finally I walked away with a signed and stamped police report. During this time all of the police officers we had come across acted like complete idiots, play fighting and trying to play the funeral march on a keyboard that wasn´t plugged in. It was a surreal experience to say the least.
So H and I have now experienced the Bolivian Police Force. It was really hard work and something I hope doesn´t happen again. In hindsight it was an interesting experience but I´d much rather have my day bag back. I suppose I can buy myself a better camera now, but it will be a huge inconvenience trying to get the insurance sorted.
After I left the Police Station I called the travel insurance company. The lines were closed as it was Good Friday. Typical!
It was Charlie´s 23rd Birthday as well so it was time to put what had happened behind us and PARTY! It was what we all needed and we had a cracking night.
H, Erica, Charlie, Lizzie and Jess.
It was raining and a good job I had kept the most ridiculous poncho.
All of us and a lot of wall - Nice one Manuel!
H and the birthday girl.
Erica, Me and Lizzie.
Jess, Charlie and H.
Now having your bag stolen from you in an English speaking country is one thing, but this is Bolivia!! It was a complete nightmare and very exhausting. In order to make an insurance claim I thought I needed to get a stamp from the police authority to whom I reported the incident. Jess spent the first two hours trying to explain this to a number of different policemen (if you can call them that!) but they didn't seem at all interested. As far as they were concerned the theft happened in Uyuni and it had nothing to do with them. We tried telling them that the insurance company in England would not ask for an investigation to be carried out, especially in Bolivia, and that all I needed was a stamp. One of the guys was particularly unpleasant - a short, fat, greasy Bolivian on a powertrip sat behind his desk in this crappy room. The only thing on the desk was the stamp I needed! At one point, when he left the room I nearly stamped it myself, but that could have involved spending some time in a Bolivian police cell if I´d been caught...or pay a hefty fine. We sat it out.
They were determined not to help me out and after going round and round in circles the inevitable happened. It was time to offer a bribe. We had been told by one guy, who we think was the chief, that there is a lot of corruption in the Bolivian police and that he wasn´t interested in a bribe. Twenty minutes later he was asking for 10 Boliviano's (80p) for a stamp. Of course I was willing to pay. It seemed like he wanted to keep it quiet from the short fat man so we promised to keep quiet. Eventually we got the stamp and left.
As we walked down the road H read the insurance claim form. It turned out that I hadn´t read it properly and we needed a signed police statement. It was time to go back in. I went on my own as the girls had had enough. I walked into the same room as before and the atmosphere was completely different. I don´t know if it was because the girsl werent there (maybe they didn´t like the fact that Jess gave as good as she got) but as soon as I asked for a letter they immediately played ball, so long as I gave them 20 Boliviano´s, which I did. The chief took my passport and gave it to this secretary who began to write down my details. They then ushered me into this other room but I wasn´t going anywhere without the passport. The chief then pretended to run off with it. Tosser!
It was then time to go through again what had got stolen, but because Jess wasn´t there, I had to do so myself in what Spanish I know. It took a good hour and a half but finally I walked away with a signed and stamped police report. During this time all of the police officers we had come across acted like complete idiots, play fighting and trying to play the funeral march on a keyboard that wasn´t plugged in. It was a surreal experience to say the least.
So H and I have now experienced the Bolivian Police Force. It was really hard work and something I hope doesn´t happen again. In hindsight it was an interesting experience but I´d much rather have my day bag back. I suppose I can buy myself a better camera now, but it will be a huge inconvenience trying to get the insurance sorted.
After I left the Police Station I called the travel insurance company. The lines were closed as it was Good Friday. Typical!
It was Charlie´s 23rd Birthday as well so it was time to put what had happened behind us and PARTY! It was what we all needed and we had a cracking night.
H, Erica, Charlie, Lizzie and Jess.
It was raining and a good job I had kept the most ridiculous poncho.
All of us and a lot of wall - Nice one Manuel!
H and the birthday girl.
Erica, Me and Lizzie.
Jess, Charlie and H.
posted by Jonny @ 10:16 PM
4 Comments:
At 20/4/06 3:40 AM,
Me said…
Sounds like Kafka's "The Trial" to me. Hideous.
Hope you get better luck from the insurers.
At 20/4/06 1:51 PM,
Me said…
By the way, you two are looking rather orange these days.
At 21/4/06 7:18 AM,
Anonymous said…
And also appear to now be the luckiest boy alive...you and all them beauties...spread the wealth sunshine!
At 21/4/06 1:53 PM,
Jonny said…
Haha...maybe the brightness on your screen needs to be turned down. Not so much orange and beautifully bronzed!!
Yep....me and 5 lovely twentysomethings. Apart from my bag being stolen, I was a very lucky man :-)
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