
Followers of former Bolivian President Evo Morales keep blocking strategic roads in the South American country causing numerous troubles to ordinary citizens. Although they invoke a series of plausible reasons, the main ground for such a deployment is believed to be the protection of their leader who is being prosecuted for human trafficking and child abuse.

A second four-engined turboprop Electra tanker aircraft arrived in Bolivia Monday to join the firefighting efforts against wild flames hitting various parts of the country, particularly Santa Cruz de la Sierra, where the Viru Viru International Airport was closed for hours due to poor visibility.

Bolivia's Foreign Minister Celinda Sosa Lunda said Tuesday that a coup d'état against President Luis Arce Catacora was being arranged by former head of state Evo Morales and his followers through road blockades and other measures.

A large cloud of smoke stemming from wildfires in Bolivia threatens to cover the skies of 15 Argentine provinces and even reach the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Area (AMBA) between Monday and Tuesday, due to which “phenomena that may represent inconveniences or difficulties in the normal development in social life are expected,” according to the National Meteorological Service (SMN).

Bolivia's Minister of Rural Development and Lands, Yamil Flores, underlined Tuesday that his country would use biotechnology to produce biodiesel. He also noted that this technology, although promising, must be handled responsibly, considering its impact on people's health as well as on the environment.

Bolivia's oil company YPFB announced Sunday that with the arrival of at least 50,000 cubic meters of diesel from Brazil and Paraguay this week, the fuel shortage would be solved for the time being to meet domestic demand. The State-run organization explained that the supply problems stemmed from bad weather at the Chilean port of Arica, which prevented the unloading of fuel from four ships.

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva told his Bolivian counterpart Luis Arce Catacora during their encounter in Santa Cruz de la Sierra that there is no individual way out in South America, Agencia Brasil reported. Both leaders agreed that the bilateral meeting spelled the beginning of a new era in bilateral ties now that Bolivia is a full member of the Southern Common Market (Mercosur). It was Lula's first trip to Bolivia during his third term in office while Arce has been to Brazil four times in the past 12 months.

Bolivia's Deputy Communications Minister Gabriela Alcón announced Friday that Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva would be arriving in Santa Cruz de la Sierra next Monday for meetings with local authorities and businessmen. It will be the first visit of a foreign head of state since Bolivia's full Southern Common Market membership President Luis Arce Catacora signed into law this week.

Bolivia's Senate passed late Wednesday the landlocked country's full Southern Common Market (Mercosur) membership which is thus up for President Luis Arce Catacora to be signed into law. The Lower House approved the initiative on June 14, which would give the head of state to participate in the July 8 Summit in Asunción from a new perspective.

The Bolivian Government Tuesday summoned its ambassador from Buenos Aires for consultations following Casa Rosada's allegations that the June 26 attempted coup d'état in La Paz was staged by President Luis Arce Catacora to improve his dwindling public image.