The Bourne Identity

In an attempt to work out my visa situation and become a legally documented worker in Bolivia, I've encountered some interesting and shady practices. Most business transactions down here are lubricated with a little extra cash, but I actually met a guy who makes James Bond movies feel realistic.

I'm not part of any underground networks, but I was easily able to meet a guy offering to forge me a Bolivian birth certificate and passport. This guy was simple enough to find. I just responded to a newspaper ad for an agency that specializes in official documents. Mr. X claims that his documents will gain me LEGAL residency and nationality. He says that the documents are 100% real, they're just obtained in a sideways manner. He insists that I would have no need to worry, records in Bolivia aren't kept on computers or electronic networks. On top of this, Mr. X only charges $300 for these false, or ambiguously obtained, documents.

I'm not going to start preaching my ignorance to how things works with government officials in the Third World, as daily television reports always remind me of new scandals of politicians skimming money off the top of public funds. As amazing as it is that obtaining false documents would be so easy, I don't think I'm prepared for the undercover life of Jason Bourne and forged passports.

The Bourne Identity