La Corporación
| Founded | 1970s |
|---|---|
| Founder | Roberto Suárez Goméz |
| Founding location | Bolivia |
| Years active | 1970s-1988 |
| Ethnicity | Bolivians |
| Criminal activities | Drug trafficking and smuggling |
| Allies |
Bolivian military junta Medellín Cartel Mexican drug cartels |
La Corporación ("The Corporation"), also known as the "General Motors of Drug Trafficking", was a Bolivian drug cartel and criminal organization, headed in the 1970s and 1980s by notorious drug lord Roberto Suárez Goméz.[1]
History
In the 1970s, Suárez created "La Corporación" and began hiring various Bolivian coca producers, becoming one of the largest cocaine producers in the country. Because of the relationship with Suárez and Pablo Escobar, "La Corporación" became a major supplier to the Medellín Cartel. Drugs were smuggled from the cocaine labs in the Bolivian Amazon to Colombia, selling at $9,000 per kilo.[2]
After Suárez's arrest in 1988, "La Corporación" was headed for a short period by Jorge Roca Suarez, who continued to smuggle drugs into the United States until his arrest in 1990.
Known members
- Roberto Suárez Goméz - founder and leader
- Jorge Roca Suarez - second-in-command, currently serving 30 years for drug trafficking
- Sonia Sanjinez De Atala - Bolivian drug trafficker, known as the "Queen of Cocaine", currently under a witness protection.
- Luis Arce Gómez - ex-Minister of the Interior, found guilty of human rights violations and drug trafficking, sentenced to 30 years imprisonment.