elor ▁of ▁human ities ▁certificate , ▁a ▁sab er ▁to ▁symbol ize ▁officer ▁rank , ▁and ▁a ▁commission ▁as ▁second ▁lieutenant ▁in ▁the ▁car ab ine ers . ▁Those ▁gradu ates ▁who ▁were ▁drawn ▁from ▁brig ades ▁then ▁returned ▁to ▁their ▁units ▁to ▁organ ize ▁local ▁classes . ▁ ▁The ▁High er ▁Police ▁School ▁( E sc uela ▁Super ior ▁de ▁Pol ic ías — ES P ) ▁was ▁created ▁in ▁February ▁ 1 9 6 9 ▁for ▁officers ▁in ▁the ▁ranks ▁of ▁lieutenant ▁colon el ▁and ▁above . ▁The ▁ESP ▁prepared ▁higher ▁officers ▁to ▁manage ▁the ▁command ▁depart ments , ▁oper ational ▁units , ▁and ▁training ▁instit utes . ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 3 , ▁the ▁ESP ' s ▁student ▁body ▁consisted ▁of ▁fifty - se ven ▁higher ▁officers . ▁ ▁Th re ats ▁to ▁internal ▁security ▁ ▁N arc ot ics ▁tra ff ick ing ▁By ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 8 0 s , ▁Boliv ians ▁had ▁become ▁increasing ly ▁aware ▁of ▁the ▁serious ▁threat ▁to ▁their ▁society ▁pos ed ▁by ▁drug ▁tra ff ick ers . ▁One ▁Boliv ian ▁editor ial ▁identified ▁several ▁dimensions ▁of ▁that ▁threat : ▁the ▁existence ▁of ▁hundreds ▁of ▁c land est ine ▁a irst ri ps ▁in ▁eastern ▁Boliv ia ; ▁fl ights ▁of ▁un ident ified ▁aircraft ▁in ▁Boliv ian ▁air space ; ▁the ▁presence ▁of ▁armed ▁criminal ▁groups ; ▁the ▁disapp earance ▁of , ▁and ▁tra ff ick ing ▁in , ▁Boliv ian ▁pass ports ; ▁the ▁inter vention ▁of ▁officials