BOLIVIA: A scandal in Bolivia over surface-to-air missiles prompted the defence minister's resignation and the army chief's dismissal on Tuesday, plunging the military into crisis days before leftist president-elect Evo Morales is to be sworn into office.
Outgoing interim president Eduardo Rodriguez said he had accepted defence minister Gonzalo Mendez's resignation and dismissed Gen Marcelo Antezana over apparent irregularities in the destruction in the United States of a batch of Chinese-made missiles in October.
At the height of campaigning for last month's elections, Mr Morales - a former coca farmer who has described his movement as a "nightmare for the US" - denounced the destruction of the missiles, the only arms of their kind in Bolivia.
Gen Antezana said Washington initiated the drive to destroy the missiles because it feared Mr Morales would win the presidency of the South American country. He later retracted his remarks.