Dollar Returns Test Bolivia’s Economy | La devolución de dólares pone a prueba la economía boliviana

By Jhovana Cahuasa, Red Uno:

What impact does the return of dollars have? This is what Gonzalo Chávez says

Following the announcement by President Rodrigo Paz on the return of foreign currency to small savers, the parallel market is showing variations. Gonzalo Chávez analyzes whether this measure is enough to stabilize the economy.

Bolivia’s foreign-exchange market has begun to react to the recent decisions taken by the Executive. This Monday, President Rodrigo Paz officially launched the return of physical dollars to citizens with savings of up to US$1,000, a measure aimed at injecting immediate liquidity and curbing speculation in the parallel market.

The plan, which is part of a “exchange-rate unification” strategy projected for 2026, has generated cautious optimism, causing the street price of the dollar to show slight declines after months of uncertainty.

For economist Gonzalo Chávez, the measure is a necessary step to restore public confidence, although he warns that the road toward full stability is still long.

According to the analyst, the release of these funds allows small savers to breathe, but the financial system still carries a significant debt inherited from past administrations that must be cleaned up in order to normalize the flow of foreign currency.

“Without a doubt it is a positive signal that 75,000 families are being repaid about 1,000 dollars per family — that’s 75 million dollars. It is an amount that can certainly enter the market and make the exchange rate fall slightly. But we always have to put it in context: the total debt of private banks (…) is around 2.2 billion dollars. This repayment is only 3.4%. It is an important step, just a signal, and the message we still have to send to recover stability and credibility requires 2.125 billion dollars to return to the people and companies who deposited their money,” Chávez stated.

The administration of President Rodrigo Paz Pereira has justified these actions within an ambitious reform program that includes eliminating taxes (such as the ITF) and attracting more than US$7 billion in international credit.

The government’s goal is clear: to ensure that by the second half of 2026, any citizen or company can withdraw their savings without restrictions, eliminating the gap between the official and the parallel exchange rate that has distorted prices in the country.

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