Family shocked by Bolivia killing

The family of an Irishman shot dead by Bolivian police tonight said they were shocked and devastated by the killing.

Authorities in Bolivia claimed Michael Dwyer was killed in a gun battle in a Santa Cruz hotel with two other men over their involvement in an alleged plot to assassinate President Evo Morales.

It is understood Mr Dwyer, 24, who had been living in Bolivia since November, was working in security for one of the other dead men – a Bolivian with Croatian citizenship.

In a statement the family appealed for privacy after officials from the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs in south America confirmed Michael’s identity.

“The family of Michael Dwyer are shocked and devastated by the tragic death of a beloved son and brother.

“They are profoundly grateful for the support, love and prayers of their wider family, friends and their local community.

“The Dwyer family ask for privacy during this very difficult time.”

Mr Dwyer, from Ballinderry, Co Tipperary, was a graduate from the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology with a degree in construction management.

He had been working with a local Galway security firm and was sent to Bolivia by the company to undergo training in November.

However, it is believed he was recruited to work in security for one of the other men killed – a Bolivian with Croatian citizenship who reportedly fought in the Balkan Wars with the Croatian militia.

Bolivian police identified the third man shot dead in the hotel on Thursday as a Hungarian national and said they had also seized a cache of weapons.

They claim Mr Dwyer’s passport was found among his personal items.

The Dwyer family contacted the Department of Foreign Affairs after news broke in the media that Michael had been killed in Santa Cruz.

A senior diplomat travelled from the Irish embassy in Argentina to Bolivia today, where he met with senior police chiefs, visited the morgue and confirmed the dead man’s identity.

It is understood the Dwyers have no plans to travel to Bolivia but are in close contact with Foreign Affairs officials over the body’s repatriation to Ireland.

A spokesman for the Department said the priority now was to ensure the early return of the body.

President Morales has linked the plot to the political opposition, whom he has accused of various attempts to overthrow him.

But the opposition dismissed the latest claims as attempts to discredit them.

The Dwyers have been described as a well respected family in the midlands county of Tipperary, with his father Martin an electrician and his mother Caroline a pharmaceutical engineer.

Messages of sympathy were posted on Michael’s Bebo website, which displayed photographs of him in army fatigues.

His family said he was a paintballing enthusiast.

He had two sisters – Aisling, 25, and Ciara, 21 – and a younger brother, Emmett, 14.

Local Fine Gael councillor Ger Darcy said the close-knit rural community was stunned by the news.

“There is complete shock. It’s bad enough to lose a son or a daughter without it being under these circumstances,” he said.