Bolivian Residents in Europe Request Irish Government to Investigate security firm I-RMS

international | anti-capitalism | press release Tuesday November 24, 2009 18:14 by Bolivia Solidarity Campaign

Michael Dwyer was an employee of Irish based company Integrated Risk Management Services IRMS through whom it appears he made contact with international mercenaries and travelled to Bolivia. Bolivian civil society groups in Europe have called on Minister for Foreign Affairs Michael Martin to fully investigate the activities of this company which also provides security services to Shell in Rosport as well as to Fianna Fail during its annual conferences.

Minister for Foreign Affairs
Mr Micheál Martin
80 St. Stephens Green
Dublin 2

Dear Mr Martín,

As members of Bolivian civil society in Europe we would like to respectfully bring to your attention matters relating to the Irish-based company Integrated Risk Management Services (I-RMS).

We have information that proves that this company employs or has employed well known mercenaries as Coronel Gyla Attila. It is through these mercenaries that Michael Dwyer, an employee of I-RMS made contact with international mercenaries.

The I-RMS company provides security to Fianna Fáil for its annual conferences. As well as providing security for Shell in Rossport, I-RMS had an advert on its website offering armed and un-armed security services internationally. The advert was taken off the website after the death of Michael Dwyer in an armed clashed with the Bolivian police earlier this year.

We would like you to investigate the links between this company and right wing
extremist terrorist groups in Europe and the connexions they have with our country Bolivia.

Bolivia is a country undergoing a deep process of social,cultural and economic change, which has the support of rank and file social organisations. Our government is the representative of the people and was elected with 53% of the votes and ratified with 68% of the votes in a recall referendum. Its legitimacy cannot be questioned. The presence of Irish citizen Michael Dwyer in Bolivia coincided with terrorist attacks perpetrated in 2008 and the first months of 2009, aimed at destabilising the process of change we describe above.

The actions which led to the death of Mr Dwyer started back in Ireland, when he
worked for Irish company I-RMS. Your government, as well as the Irish media,have asked the Bolivian government to investigate these facts, and this is now being done. However, we would like to request from your government a full investigation into the obscure aims and methods of companies which employ mercenaries or terrorists, and which openly offer their services in Ireland.

Cristian Domínguez, secretary of defence of natural resources and the
environment of the Bolivian Confederation of Peasant Workers (CSUTCB), is currently visiting Europe. He is a survivor of the massacre of Pando in 2008,which was organised and carried out by those who are experts in organisation wars of secession. Mr Dwyer and the machinery he was a part of should be investigated for their responsibility in these events which left men, women and children dead, and many survivors scarred for life.

The proof that exists against these mercenary groups is conclusive, but we are
worried that they are still active in our country, Bolivia. For all these
reasons, and knowing your democratic and peace-loving record, we would like to
request from the office you represent:

1. -A full investigation into the legal status of I-RMS in Ireland and the services it offers, as well as an investigation into any other companies offering international armed security services from Ireland.

2.- An investigation into the links between security
company I-RMS and extreme right wing elements from Eastern Europe. There are clear
indications that Attila, an employee of I-RMS, was the contact who recruited Michael Dwyer for his activities in Bolivia.

3.- Taking into account the danger that these mercenaries pose to our democracy
and to Bolivian society as a whole, we would like your government to
investigate how many people employed by I-RMS have travelled to Bolivia and
whether they are still in our territory.

4.- It is possible that other Irish organisations and/or companies are still
offering security training to Irish citizens in Bolivia. If this is the case,
the Bolivian government should be informed so it can take action to prevent
terrorist activities against the Bolivian state.

5.- We would like to know what knowledge does your government have of these
facts and what actions has it taken against these groups and their terrorist
activities.

6.- Finally, we would like to respectfully ask that the result of these investigations be made public, so these terrorist cells can be disbanded and cease to be a threat to Bolivia and the world.

Sincerely yours,

Cristian Domínguez
Secretario de Defensa de los Recursos Naturales y del Medio
Ambiente CSUTCB

Amancay Colque
Coordinator
Bolivia Solidarity Campaign

Bolivia Solidarity Campaign-Inglaterra: Amancay Colque -
Jose Sagarnaga
ARLAC, Bruselas- Bélgica: Ringo Guzman
Ballet Folclórico Boliviano, Barcelona - España: Severino
Viraca
Bolivia Action Solidarity Network-Canada: Marcelo Saavedra
Vargas
Cambio Foro Bolivia, Estocolmo- Suecia: Judith Muñoz -
Nelson Monsalvez
Centro Cultural Tupac Katari, Estocolmo-Suecia
Comisión Comunicación CPB-EU y CPB-Francia: Jose
Luis Martinez
Comité de Apoyo a Bolivia.Malmö-Suecia: Tereza Moreira– Marcelo Torrez
Comitè de Solidaritat amb els Pobles Indígenes d´
Amèrica M. Antònia Arnau
Consejo Pro Bolivia - Escandinavia: Eulogio Limachi -
Leonor Churquina
Consejo Pro Bolivia- CPB - Alemania: Roxana Soria –
Gladis Schlanbush
Consejo Pro Bolivia Gotemburgo.- Suecia: Walter Vera Rivera
- Jorge carrasco
Coordinadora Somos Mas, Barcelona-España: Rosa Rosa
Krugler -
Grupo Apoyo a Bolivia, GAB-Estocolmo-Suecia: Jorge Cuenca
Grupo Apoyo a Bolivia, GAB-Växjö-Suecia: Victoria
Gonsalez
Grupo de apoyo al MAS, Barcelona-España: Varinia Olivares

Grupo de Apoyo al MAS, Uppsala, Suecia Adriana Petersheim
Latinamerikagrupperna-Gbg. - Suecia: Adolfo Suarez
Por la Comisión Orgánica del Consejo Pro Bolivia en
Europa, CPB-EU: Walter
Vera Rivera- Victoria Gonsalez
Presencia Latinoamericana (Frente Bolivia)-Suiza:
Patricia Ogay
Coordinadora Somos Mas, Barcelona, Rosa Kugler
Grupo de Apoyo al MAS en Noruega Julio Cesar Toro