Bolivia closed its official investigation last week, issuing a final report last Tuesday and naming the pilot and company as directly responsible for the crash. Functionaries of AASANA and DGAC plus the flight dispatcher now in Brazil also received criticism and blame. There have been no public findings into the role of the highest authorities in Bolivian aviation (e.g. at ministerial level), in terms of how LaMia was allowed to continue to operate in light of information which has emerged since the date of the accident. In effect, the Bolivian government has sought to distance itself from any potential malpractice on its own part and close down the story. The ruling party (MAS) are currently under pressure over mismanagement of water resources and infrastructure which has led to water rationing here in La Paz. MAS is at the same time seeking to overturn the result of a February referendum which prevents incumbent President Evo Morales from standing for an (unconstitutional) fourth term. (This is the same President who claimed not to be aware of LaMia the airline, until footage emerged showing him recently posing for pictures onboard the incident aircraft in Rurrenabaque.) Opposition figures have conversely sought to establish and publicise links between LaMia and the Morales administration. Against this political backdrop, it should be of no surprise that the Bolivian government would rather that this story disappear.
The swift release of Bolivia's official final report led to criticism from Colombia's Director of Civil Aviation, who has stated that Bolivia has neither the faculty ("facultad", which can be translated as either authority or ability) nor competence to come up with such investigation findings. This in turn led to a statement from Bolivia's Vice President at a press breakfast on Christmas Eve that the Bolivian investigation report would serve as a contribution to the overall Colombian investigation, and that the final word regarding any immediate and underlying causes of the accident remains with Colombia.
Chapecoense de Brasil - Bolivia: Investigación a Lamia es "contribución" a Colombia | Latinoamérica | Mundo | El Comercio Peru
Chapecoense de Brasil: "Lamia y piloto son responsables de la tragedia" | Latinoamérica | Mundo | El Comercio Peru
Colombia tiene la última palabra sobre el accidente - Diario Pagina Siete