An undercarriage failure resulted in a Transporte Aéreo Boliviano (TAB) McDonnell-Douglas freighter blocking the only runway at Santa Cruz de la Sierra's Viru Viru International Airport early Thursday. It was not until way past dawn that operations went back to normal. In the meantime, most flights were diverted to Asunción (Paraguay).
Bolivia's Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ) Tuesday sentenced former President Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada (1993-1997 and 2002-2003) to 6 years in jail for signing numerous oil contracts without parliamentary approval. The 94-year-old former head of State resides in the United States and it remains to be seen whether he can be extradited.
Bolivia will be collecting some US$ 120 million yearly for allowing Argentine gas from Vaca Muerta through to Brazil, Economy Minister Marcelo Montenegro explained Wednesday during a press conference in which he highlighted the importance of Tuesday's agreement to bringing fresh foreign currency into the country's coffers in addition to its strategic nature in a regional context riddled with energy challenges.
Bolivia's State-run Yacimientos Petrolíferos Fiscales Bolivianos (YPFB) agreed to allow Argentina to pump gas to Brazil through the existing pipeline, company President Armin Dorgathen announced Tuesday during the International Forum on Hydrocarbons, Fertilizers, Renewable and Alternative Energies in Santa Cruz de la Sierra. We will promote the efficient flow of gas between Argentina and Brazil, taking advantage of existing infrastructure and strengthening regional cooperation, he said.
Bolivia's State-run oil company YPFB announced Tuesday that it had restored fuel shipments to the levels before the 24-day road blockade by former President Evo Morales followers, which disrupted supply and caused a nationwide crisis. YPFB explained that 7 million liters of gasoline and the same amount of diesel were distributed, thus ending the long queues at petrol stations that had become a common sight in recent weeks.
Bolivia's Association of Oilseed and Wheat Producers (Anapo) President Fernando Romero said Monday that diesel fuel shortages seriously threatened food supply in the short run as well as production in the future. Romero told the Chinese news service Xinhua that hundreds of companies in eastern Bolivia were on the brink of bankruptcy and pointed out that only 20% of rice growers had started planting.
Bolivia's Plurinational Constitutional Tribunal (TCP) ruled Friday once again that former President Juan Evo Morales Ayma is banned from running again for such an office, given the number of terms already served. The TCP thus insisted that no elected authority can seek a third term after having been reelected consecutively or otherwise.
Russia's State Nuclear Energy Corporation Rosatom has completed the first batch of nuclear fuel for the reactor being built in Bolivian city of El Alto for the South American country's Center for Research and Development in Nuclear Technology (CIDTN), it was announced Monday in Moscow. The Russian Government agency also said in a statement that the chemicals manufactured at Rosatom's facilities in Novosibirsk had passed acceptance inspection. The fuel is to be delivered in 2025, it was also explained.
Former Bolivian President Evo Morales was the target of gunfire on Sunday as his convoy traveled through Chapare, a coca-growing region where Morales has long held significant influence. Morales emerged unscathed but accused President Luis Arce of orchestrating the attack, an accusation Arce swiftly denied, pledging “an immediate and thorough investigation.”
At least 44 people were arrested and dozens injured Friday as Bolivian Police clashed with supporters of former President Evo Morales who were staging road blockades in various parts of the country causing food and fuel shortages, endangering the livelihoods of numerous people, particularly the young and the elderly.