Bolivia — Legal Help

If arrested, request consular notification immediately and get a local lawyer — Bolivian pretrial detention is notoriously long and prisons are largely self-governing, so preventing detention at the charge stage is everything. Crime reports go through the FELCC (the special crime-fighting force); insist on a written copy for insurance. Embassies provide lawyer lists, welfare visits and family contact only. Note that the US embassy in La Paz has operated at chargé d'affaires level since 2008, but consular services for citizens function normally.

Drug offences are prosecuted aggressively and planted-evidence scams around nightlife have been reported — keep your own bags in sight and refuse to carry anything for anyone.