U.S. citizens will need Bolivian visa from March

LA PAZ (Reuters) - Bolivia's new visa requirement for U.S. citizens visiting the Andean nation will take effect in March, Bolivian Foreign Minister David Choquehuanca said on Monday.

Leftist President Evo Morales issued a presidential decree last week requiring U.S. tourists to obtain a visa before visiting the impoverished South American country.

Morales said the decision was an issue of reciprocity because the United States requires Bolivian tourists to apply for a visa.

"We are working so that this regulation does not damage tourism, so once we are done, we are going to implement this (measure) in March," Choquehuanca told reporters after a meeting with the U.S. Ambassador Philip Goldberg in La Paz.

Choquehuanca said the measure could not be implemented immediately because the Bolivian government wants to carry out a publicity campaign to inform U.S. travelers of the new requirements.

"We also need to train our offices abroad, in the United States, and that takes time," Choquehuanca said.

Few Latin American and Caribbean countries -- like Brazil, Cuba and Paraguay -- require visas for U.S. tourists on short visits.

The minister said the government would not change its decision, despite predictions from tourist organizations that the country would lose millions of dollars if the new visa system is implemented.

The visas would be issued by Bolivia's 13 consulates in the United States, and Bolivia is taking suggestions from the U.S. Embassy in La Paz so the new requirement can be implemented efficiently, Choquehuanca said.