Crime in Bolivia

Common reported offences in Bolivia include robbery, theft, aggravated robbery, fraud, assault, family and gender-based violence, sexual violence, trafficking, vehicle theft and digital fraud. Police records for January to November 2023 listed 17,402 property offences, 12,629 offences against persons and 7,418 economic or financial offences; the same records included 7,829 robberies, 4,678 thefts and 3,636 fraud cases. These figures are registered reports, not a complete measure of actual prevalence. Fiscalía records for 2025 included 46,247 cases under Law 348, including 34,502 cases of family or domestic violence, 3,299 sexual-abuse cases and 3,013 rape cases. Practical risks include pickpocketing in tourist sites, markets, buses, bus stations and crowds; robbery involving taxis; police impersonation; express kidnapping for ATM or card withdrawals; drink spiking and sexual assault in clubs, hostels or contacts made through dating applications; real-estate fraud; QR-code and WhatsApp data theft; vehicle theft; and exploitation as an unwitting drug courier. Trafficking and missing-person cases require prompt contact with the police or Fiscalía. Advisories identify additional risks around La Paz and El Alto, Santa Cruz, Cochabamba, Rurrenabaque, Chapare, Los Yungas, Uyuni, remote areas, transport hubs and the Brazil-border zone. Chapare has limited police presence and violent crime linked to narcotrafficking; these are documented risk concentrations, not a national prevalence ranking. For an emergency, call 110. The FELCC handles general crime complaints and investigations, FELCV handles gender-based and domestic violence, DIPROVE handles vehicle theft, FELCN handles narcotics, the División de Cibercrimen handles computer, mobile and network offences, and the División Trata y Tráfico de Personas handles trafficking and missing-person cases. The Fiscalía or Ministerio Público provides criminal-case orientation, filing and follow-up. Fiscalía also lists call-centre channels including VoIP, WebChat, WhatsApp, Telegram and a virtual suggestions box; local availability should be verified. Use ordered radio taxis marked with the company name and telephone number instead of street-hailed or shared taxis. Keep luggage and valuables with you, avoid displaying cash, jewellery or expensive devices, take extra care after dark and around airports, bus terminals and crowded markets, and do not resist an armed robbery. During a kidnapping, follow the captor's instructions. Inspect luggage yourself, never carry an unknown package and avoid unmarked police vehicles. If an official asks for identification, request identification and a lawful explanation while carrying a copy of your passport and entry stamp. For some routes, such as Copacabana to La Paz, a direct daytime bus is advised. Preserve evidence after a digital incident: do not delete, destroy or modify relevant data, and do not forward incriminating messages. Keep screenshots or printed messages, payment vouchers, URLs and suspicious links, then report promptly to the local FELCC or División de Cibercrimen. A La Paz listing gives 72040947 for Cibercrimen, but current contact details must be verified. Victim support is distributed among several services. Fiscalía's Dirección de Protección a Víctimas, Testigos y Miembros del Ministerio Público provides protection and assistance, while SIPPASE helps locate services for attention, advice, containment and protection. Municipal SLIM offices support cases involving women, DNA offices protect children and adolescents, and SEPDAVI provides legal or related assistance where available. Law 348 reporting channels include the Policía, Ministerio Público, SLIM, DNA, Defensoría del Pueblo, SIJP, SEPDAVI and, where applicable, Indigenous authorities. A woman may report violence herself or another person may report it when they have knowledge of the incident. The DNA must receive reports of sexual violence against children or adolescents, notify the Ministerio Público immediately, protect identity and confidentiality, and represent the child's rights during proceedings. A child or adolescent victim does not need to file a private prosecution to participate actively. The juvenile justice pathway is separate from the adult process. The Defensoría del Pueblo accepts free written, verbal or web complaints about rights violations. It requires identification and contact details, does not accept anonymous complaints, and does not replace a criminal filing or legal representation. Its listed contacts are 800108004 and WhatsApp 72006607. A complaint to the Defensoría does not interrupt criminal deadlines. There is no single nationally evidenced one-stop victim centre; municipal and departmental capacity, contact details and response times vary. Police, Fiscalía and INE statistics are fragmented, and the latest national FELCC table reviewed covers January to November 2023, so trend claims require a date and source.