April 30, 2001 - Department of State: I know that you all made a statement last Wednesday about Walter Poirier, the Peace Corps volunteer missing in Bolivia

Peace Corps Online: Directory: Bolivia: PCOL Exclusive: Missing PCV Walter Poirier III (Bolivia) : Special Report: Missing Peace Corps Volunteer Walter Poirier III: April 30, 2001 - Department of State: I know that you all made a statement last Wednesday about Walter Poirier, the Peace Corps volunteer missing in Bolivia

By Admin1 (admin) on Sunday, September 21, 2003 - 3:29 pm: Edit Post

I know that you all made a statement last Wednesday about Walter Poirier, the Peace Corps volunteer missing in Bolivia



I know that you all made a statement last Wednesday about Walter Poirier, the Peace Corps volunteer missing in Bolivia

Q: I know that you all made a statement last Wednesday about Walter Poirier, the Peace Corps volunteer missing in Bolivia, and his parents were on national television this morning renewing pleas for further State Department assistance in this matter. I'm wondering if there has been any progress.

MR. REEKER: I don't have anything to add since we discussed it. I believe it was on Wednesday. We are very concerned about Mr. Poirier and we are very engaged in the continuing efforts to locate him. We certainly share with his parents the desire to find out what happened to their son. Our Embassy in La Paz is working on this. We are trying to work very closely with Bolivian Government authorities, and we have been doing so since Mr. Poirier was reported missing on March the 5th.

As I noted, Bolivian Government and law enforcement authorities have dedicated extensive resources and manpower to the search. The FBI has sent a team of Spanish-speaking agents to Bolivia. They have been there for the past couple of weeks working with the Bolivian police on the investigation. I think Wednesday I mentioned how grateful we were to Bolivian media for carrying his photograph consistently over the past two months to try to help see if anybody can come forward with information about his whereabouts.

Thus far, we have no indication, I am told, of kidnapping. An investigation is ongoing, and obviously the Embassy and the teams down there will continue to work on this as much as possible. The Peace Corps sent their own investigator to Bolivia, and the local Peace Corps staff have been extensively involved in the search for him. So we are going to continue on this until we can get some more information. As I said, no ransom demands have been received at this date, and the Bolivian authorities and the FBI both tell us that there is no indication of a kidnapping.

I don't think one can begin to understand the frustration and emotional stress that the parents must be going through and what kind of situation this is for a family. And we do understand their need for an answer, and we want an answer as well. So we are going to continue to do what we can to get answers, and hopefully locate Mr. Poirier.



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Story Source: Department of State

This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; COS - Bolivia; Safety and Security of Volunteers

PCOL7818
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By bankass.com on Tuesday, September 23, 2003 - 5:19 am: Edit Post

Mr. Reeker you are not doing enough either. You say you are trying to communicate with the Bolivian Officials. Trying to Communicate. Take away some of their aid money and they will sing. I don't buy your "sound bite speak". Private investigator paid by our government full time.

Make the Bolivian government know that saying its safe in a region of their country is their responsibility too.

I don't think you or the Peace Corps has done enough with financial resources.

Daniel Pailes

Separated Peace Corps Veterans


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