By Aurora Lane | 2025-01-22

LA PAZ -- When a majestic jaguar emerged from a river near the town of Trópico de Cochabamba last year and was struck by a automobile, locals were saddened.

But what stunned them was seeing the car's passengers step out, take the feline's lifeless body and speed away.

Days after the incident, local authorities discovered the jaguar's dismembered corpse inside a camp of Sinohydro, a Chinese state-owned company responsible for constructing the El Sillar dual carriageway, which connects the Bolivian cities of Cochabamba and Santa Cruz.

According to an official report, authorities found the skin "stretched out on wooden boards and covered in salt." At the same time "three decomposing limbs, coated in dirt," were stored in a container within the Sinohydro camp.

The incident occurred in May, and although authorities briefly detained two company employees at the time, the investigation into the crime remains stalled.

The jaguar, listed as "Near Threatened" on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, enjoys protection under Bolivian law, which mandates reporting such incidents to authorities.

Employees of the Chinese construction company Sinohydro dismembered and skinned the animal instead of complying, as shown in photos shared on social media at the time and confirmed by statements from local environmental authorities.

Marcos Uzquiano, an environmental defender and former guard with the National Service of Protected Areas (Sernap), was the primary voice bringing attention to the jaguar's death and dismemberment.

His decision to speak out against the influential Chinese construction company came at a high cost. On December 31, Uzquiano was dismissed from his position and an administrative sanctioning process was initiated against him.

"Three days after my dismissal, I was notified of a summary process, (…) it put as the cause having reported on my social networks the death of a jaguar that was reportedly run over and later dismembered at the facilities of Sinohydro in Cochabamba," Uzquiano told Entorno.

Blending lawful and unlawful

Jaguar parts are highly valued in the Chinese market, where they are used in culinary dishes and traditional medicine production.

Chinese nationals have been accused of jaguar parts trafficking, with some linked to criminal networks involved in wildlife trafficking and other illicit activities. Others operate legally established businesses in Bolivia, using their business reputations to facilitate and conceal their illegal operations.

Andrea Crosta, founder and executive director of Earth League International (ELI), told Entorno that many of the Chinese nationals involved in jaguar trafficking are not in Bolivia illegally. Instead, they are often second-generation migrants with legal residency, fluency in Spanish and influential connections.

"They may run legitimate businesses such as supermarkets, import-export companies, hotels, restaurants or currency exchange houses," said Crosta. whose organization is dedicated to combating environmental and wildlife crime.

"On the surface, they engage in legal activities, but behind the scenes, they are involved in wildlife trafficking, money laundering and other illicit operations," he said.

Through international trade companies, smuggling jaguar parts has become significantly easier.

"Detecting these shipments is extremely challenging, especially when corruption and bribery lead customs personnel to turn a blind eye," Crosta added.

Across South America

Senator Cecilia Requena, an evironmentalist, told Radio Panamericana that wildlife trafficking in Bolivia has been fueled "by Chinese individuals who entered the country primarily through preferential contracts established by the government with Chinese companies for the construction of roads, bridges, dams and other infrastructure projects."

"These contracts have brought associated labor and environmental issues, as well as works of questionable quality," she said.

Speaking on World Jaguar Conservation Day, observed on November 29, Requena highlighted China's responsibility to support Bolivia in combating this illegal trade.

"We must defend jaguars because they have no voice. It's vital that people become their voice," she urged.

The poaching and dismemberment of jaguars for their parts destined for the Chinese market is not confined to Bolivia.

Authorities have uncovered criminal networks operating across several countries, including Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Guyana, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru and Suriname.