MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Bolivia to import diesel to relief drivers in the west

Dorgathen said the situation was normal in the country's east

Bolivia's state-run oil company YPFB will import 2.5 million liters of diesel fuel from Chile to reverse the current shortage, it was announced.

YPFB's executive president Armin Dorgathen Friday explained that 76 lorries will bring in approximately 2.5 million liters of diesel from Arica, Chile via Tambo Quemado, which would alleviate the fuel supply crisis in places such as La Paz and Oruro.

Dorgathen also stressed that the situation in the rest of the country was “normal” and asked the population to stay calm.

“It is important to transmit to the population that we are introducing a greater amount of additional product so that there is no speculation in this regard. Let people know that we have the product, the product is arriving and let's not overbuy, because we don't have the product in stock either, it arrives on the day and is consumed on the day,” Dorgathen was quoted as saying.

The executive also pointed out that 30,000 barrels of crude are to enter the country later this month, which will allow the processing of about 1,500 cubic meters of additional diesel.

“The final solution will be in the first week of June when the maintenance of YPFB Transporte's maritime station is completed and a ship arrives at the port of Arica to unload fuel and have four to five days of autonomy, that is the ship's objective,” he said.

Bolivia is supplied with fuels through domestic production, from the Santa Cruz, Cochabamba, and Oro Negro refineries, and also through imports through Paraguay, Argentina, and Brazil, which enter daily to feed the eastern part of the country, while the west depends on supplies from Chile.

Dorgathen said demand shot up in La Paz and Oruro due to internal and external factors. In the rest of the country, supply was normal, according to YPFB, which sends over 6 million liters of diesel daily.

However, transport companies have reported a shortage of fuel as drives queue up long hours to tank up at several pumps nationwide.