Bolivian President Luis Arce Catacora admitted Friday that his country imported 90% of the fuel it consumed at a cost of around US$ 3 billion annually, a significant adjustment from US$ 1.5 billion in 2019. Given the rise in smuggling and the scarcity of hard foreign currency, the crisis seems to have entered some loop. Reducing public sector vehicle use and prioritizing fuel for essential services may not be enough to meet national fuel demand. What country is going to put up with this? he wondered.
Add your comment!Bolivian President Luis Arce Catacora announced Wednesday in a broadcast message a set of ten measures adopted by his government to tackle the fuel shortage affecting his country.
Former Uruguayan President José “Pepe” Mujica has taken aim at prominent Latin American leaders, criticizing a lack of generational renewal in politics and authoritarian trends in the region. Speaking from his home in Montevideo, Mujica called out Argentina’s Cristina Kirchner, accusing her of clinging to power rather than transitioning into an advisory role. “There’s the old Cristina at the head of Peronism, instead of leaving room for new generations. How hard it is for her to let go of the cake!” Mujica quipped.
Presidents Luis Arce Catacora of Bolivia and Santiago Peña of Paraguay landed Sunday night in Rio de Janeiro to participate as a guest of the G20 Summit, to be held between Nov. 18 and 19 in the former Brazilian capital.
Bolivian President Luis Arce Catacora said this weekend that the supply of diesel fuel and the prices of family basket items would be normalized in the next 10 days after over three weeks of road blockades by followers of former President Evo Morales who want him to run in next year's elections and be spared the rape and human traffic charges against him.
Former Bolivian President Evo Morales announced Friday that he would go on a hunger strike as the conflict between him and his former Minister of Economy and ally, and current president, Luis Arce Catacora, continues to escalate.
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.
Bolivian President Luis Arce Catacora will personally oversee firefighting and relief efforts in the department of Beni, where eight of the 19 municipalities are affected by the dense smoke caused by the environmental crisis. Arce will arrive Saturday in the city of Trinidad, the capital of the department where the presence of a Venezuelan team of 61 firefighters and other types of humanitarian aid are also expected.
Bolivia’s President Luis Alberto Arce announced on X a massive discovery of a natural gas field, “the largest find in the country since 2005”. Bolivia’s state-owned hydrocarbons company YPFB described it as the biggest gas find in nearly two decades and could become the country’s third-largest producing field.
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.