Deadly end to alleged Bolivian plot

By Stephen Rogers and Juno McEnroe

Saturday, April 18, 2009

GRAPHIC images of the dead body of young Tipperary man Michael Dwyer, alleged to have been plotting to kill the President of Bolivia, were displayed on the front pages of several of that country’s newspapers.

The Bolivian press detailed how Dwyer, aged 24, and two alleged co-conspirators, Bolivian Eduardo Rozsa Flores and Hungarian Magyarosi Arpad, were "riddled" with bullets in a gunfight with Bolivian forces on Thursday morning. Two other men, Mario Tadic from Croatia and Elod Toaso from Hungary, were arrested at the scene and driven to the country’s capital La Paz for interrogation.

The country’s president, Evo Morales has claimed he found out details of the plot to kill him and sent police forces to the hotel Las Americas in Santa Cruz to catch the mercenaries. Morales claimed the plot was linked to right-wing opponents of his rule.

Dwyer is understood to have checked into that hotel on Tuesday morning.

Following the half-hour gunfight, Dwyer’s body was pictured lying on the hotel floor in just a pair of boxer shorts. The other two men were pictured in only their underwear on the floor of the room. Clearly identifiable on Dwyer’s body, as well as numerous wounds, is the large and distinctive tattoo which, according to his Bebo page, he only had done in the last few months.

His remains, along with those of the other two men, were then removed in body bags from the hotel and brought to a local morgue where they were put on display for photographers.

Also presented for the cameras were documents police claimed to have found "about preparations for an assassination, an attempt on the lives of the president and the vice president", and sniper rifles, high-calibre guns and other explosives which were confiscated from a nearby building.

Michael Dwyer was a weapons and martial arts enthusiast who listed as his main interests kickboxing, kravmaga (a form of hand-to-hand combat used by Israeli defence forces), pistol shooting and airsoft (airguns).

The Garda Interpol office in Dublin was yesterday in contact with police in La Paz, assisting them with inquiries. Dwyer is understood to have had no criminal history and was not known to gardaí.

One source suggested he had military training at a young age, possibly in the British army.

His family live in Ballinderry, just a few miles outside Borrisokane in north Tipperary. His parents, who are well regarded in the local community, and his three siblings, could not be contacted last night.

The Department of Foreign Affairs said urgent inquiries were being made about the dead man and an Irish diplomatic officer was travelling from Argentina to Bolivia to provide a "presence on the ground".

This story appeared in the printed version of the Irish Examiner Saturday, April 18, 2009