Bolivian diesel import went up by 58%, La Razon reports today. The chart above shows that there was an increase of diesel imports over the years (2005-2011); the 58% ($592.94 million) increase is from the Jan-Jul periods of 2010 and 2011.

$2,151 billion dollars represents diesel import over the last six years. To date, natural gas, gasoline, liquid petroleum gas and diesel are subsidized. When minister of hydrocarbons and energy, José Luis Gutiérrez, was consulted about how the government was going to allocate more funds for those subsidies, he avoided the subject and asked to “transfer” the question to the economics minister, Luis Arce Catacora.

According to official data, during this year, it is expected that $1,566.9 million dollars will be received primarily from natural gas exports, given oil international prices. Unfortunately, a third of those revenues, around $500 million are expected to cover for those imported fuels, to keep them subsidized in the internal markets (chances are that the smuggling to surrounding countries, given the price differences, will continue; as well as some of them going to illicit activities, as precursors to the cocaine fabrication).

http://www.la-razon.com/version.php?ArticleId=136579&EditionId=2637