External debt increases by more than 150% during MAS government | Deuda externa sube en más del 150% durante gobierno del MAS

By El Diario:

The idea that debt represents a low percentage of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), compared to other government administrations, does not mean that external debt has decreased; on the contrary, it increased from 2005 to 2024 by more than 150%, from 5 billion dollars to over 13.4 billion. The government is looking at loans stalled in the Plurinational Legislative Assembly (ALP) because it has no other financing alternatives.

According to official data from the Central Bank of Bolivia (BCB), in 2005 external debt amounted to 4.9417 billion dollars, but as of June 2024, the figure rose to 13.364 billion, despite the economic boom of the previous decade.

The government is now looking at the 1.8 billion dollars in loans pending in the ALP, which have not progressed, and is demanding their approval to inject dollars into the national economy.

Recently, the BCB reported that Net International Reserves (NIR) rose to 2.618 billion dollars, but in foreign currency they amount to only 167 million, while gold represents over 1.8 billion.

The government uses the percentage of external debt in relation to GDP, which is lower than in previous administrations, but this does not mean there is less debt—on the contrary, it has increased, just as the national GDP has.

Meanwhile, the Vice Minister of Treasury and Public Credit, Juana Jiménez, stated in a press conference last Tuesday that GDP has grown over time and that this allows them to acquire loans.

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