
Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) President Ilan Goldfajn is visiting Bolivia between Jan. 13 and 14, marking the first time in 15 years that someone in his position has become interested in the landlocked South American country, signaling a shift in international financial relations under the administration of President Rodrigo Paz Pereira.

Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz Pereira issued Supreme Decree 5515, allowing him to exercise full constitutional powers through digital means and electronic signatures while outside the country. The move comes amid escalating nationwide protests over the so-called Gasolinazo (end of fuel subsidies resulting in price hikes) and a notorious rift between the head of State and Vice President Edmand Lara.

Bolivia's Hydrocarbons Ministry has announced a sweeping liberalization of the national fuel market, lifting long-standing import restrictions and implementing a zero Specific Consumption Tax (ICE) for private importers.

Bolivia's powerful labor and transport unions confirmed they would launch an indefinite national strike starting Monday after President Rodrigo Paz Pereira vowed that Supreme Decree 5503, eliminating decades-old fuel subsidies, was a non-negotiable starting point for his administration.

Health authorities across South America are on high alert following the confirmed detection of the Influenza A (H3N2) K subclade in Argentina and Brazil. The variant, which has already triggered emergency protocols in Chile and Bolivia, is characterized by genetic mutations that may increase transmissibility, though experts emphasize it does not currently appear to be more lethal than standard flu strains.

Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz Pereira has announced a drastic economic overhaul, declaring a state of economic, financial, energetic, and social emergency, which includes ending fuel subsidies that have been in place for over 20 years and implementing a significant increase in the minimum wage to offset the resulting inflation.

Bolivia's Supreme Court (TSJ) Chief Justice Romer Saucedo and his family were robbed on Dec. 6 while vacationing in Guarujá, on the coast of São Paulo, Brazil, it was reported this weekend in La Paz.

Former Bolivian President Luis Arce Catacora was arrested in La Paz on Wednesday afternoon in connection with a major corruption case involving the now-defunct Indigenous Peoples Development Fund (Fondioc).

Swedish Ambassador to Bolivia Johanna Teague announced Monday that her country was downsizing its mission in Bolivia, leading to the closure of the diplomatic mission in La Paz by the end of 2026.

Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz Pereira announced Wednesday that his administration would eliminate tariffs on all technological products not manufactured domestically to lower consumer costs, fighting smuggling, and boosting national production.