La Paz, Bolivia – Bolivian police arrested an American and an Uruguayan woman believed to be his wife early Wednesday in connection with a pair of explosions that killed two people and injured seven at two budget hotels in the center of this high- altitude city.
Police accused the two of planting about 50 pounds of dynamite in the attacks but said they didn’t think the bombings were politically motivated.
At a news conference, police gave the American’s name as Lestat Claudius De Orleans and identified the Uruguayan as Alda Ribeiro Acosta.
A police commander reached by Knight Ridder Newspapers said De Orleans is 25 and Ribeiro 42, though there were differing reports of their ages.
A State Department spokesman in Washington confirmed that an American had been arrested but declined to provide a name or other details.
“We regret the loss of life that occurred,” said the spokesman, Eric Watnik.
Police commander Col. Oscar Nina said in a telephone interview that Bolivian police believe that the two suspected bombers are mentally ill.
“We have the impression that these two did this for their own pleasure,” he said. “Put simply, they were crazy. We have found no evidence of an ideological or political basis to any of this.”
Nonetheless, President Evo Morales, who has clashed with the United States over economic and anti-narcotics policy, asked publicly Wednesday whether U.S. officials were behind the bombings.
In the past, he has accused U.S. officials of plotting to assassinate him, and he said recently that business interests were trying to sabotage his government, which took power in January.
Details on the American were sketchy and conflicting.
