Fuel delays linked to YPFB corruption | Demoras de combustible vinculadas a corrupción en YPFB

By Brujula Digital:

Paz says he obtained fuel but that it is “complex” to bring it in; suspects corruption in YPFB

President-elect Rodrigo Paz stated that he has secured fuel abroad but warned that he suspects corruption in YPFB’s logistics. He expects the long lines for gasoline and diesel to end “little by little”

Rodrigo Paz at the meeting with business leaders in El Alto. Photo: APG

President-elect Rodrigo Paz said on Tuesday that he managed to obtain fuel abroad but warned that it is “complex” to bring it into the country. He added that he suspects, and all indications suggest, that there is corruption in the logistics of Yacimientos Petrolíferos Fiscales Bolivianos (YPFB).

“We have obtained the gasoline and diesel; it turns out that now bringing it in is complex,” Paz said at a press conference after holding a meeting with entrepreneurs in El Alto.

Paz and his economic team traveled to the United States in the middle of last week to meet with representatives of the U.S. government and multilateral organizations, including the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), to seek assistance in combating the shortage of fuel and U.S. dollars in the country, as well as the overall economic crisis.

One of Paz’s campaign promises was to end the country’s fuel shortage, which has persisted since last year, if he were elected president. The expectations of different sectors, especially heavy transport, are focused on that commitment.

Paz arrived in Bolivia around midnight last night. On Tuesday evening, he once again assured that gasoline and diesel supplies are “guaranteed,” but emphasized that the difficulty lies in the logistics of bringing hydrocarbons to Bolivia.

He said that the PDC had uncovered a “trail” pointing to corruption linked to how fuel logistics are managed in Bolivia.

In that regard, he announced that the matter would be investigated and that legal action would be taken against those responsible.

When asked whether the long lines of vehicles seeking fuel would come to an end, he responded that they would disappear “little by little.”

Dollar

Meanwhile, he reiterated that he secured $3.1 billion in financing from CAF – Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean, of which 15% will arrive in the country over the next three months.

He indicated that this money would go toward strengthening the country’s international reserves within the next five to six months so that Bolivia “can breathe easier,” at least in managing the dollar exchange rate.

BD/JJC

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