By Brújula digital:

One hundred days in office: ruling party defends progress and opposition denounces improvisation

Legislators from the PDC and Unidad backed the economic measures promoted by the Executive and highlighted consensus in the Plurinational Legislative Assembly. From Alianza Popular, they questioned the lack of a clear policy to confront the crisis.

A session of the Chamber of Deputies / ABI archive

Evaluations of the first 100 days in office of President Rodrigo Paz show divided positions in the Plurinational Legislative Assembly.

PDC deputy Claudia Bilbao stated that consensus was reached in the legislature to promote economic measures, including a tax amnesty and a tax reduction. “The deputies did their job. I spoke with the legislators and the tax amnesty will be ready in the coming days. We also approved a budget allocation to reduce taxes,” she said, noting that the parliamentary landscape has changed compared to previous initiatives. “Today, deputies can reach agreements; we are no longer sheep who obeyed. Today we have quality deputies who know how to express their opinion, whether from the opposition or from the government,” she declared.

Along the same lines, PDC senator Nicanor Cochi defended the government’s management and downplayed criticism from former president Jorge Tuto Quiroga. “They are hurt politicians for not having won. They are not going to say that we are advancing, but people are sensible and the president has a 65% approval rating,” he said. Cochi added that it is not possible to structurally transform the economy in three months, but assured that there is a new direction. “The government cannot change everything in three months, but we are advancing and giving it a different course from that of the previous administration.”

For her part, Alianza Popular deputy Claudia Herbas expressed a critical position and stated that there is no clear strategy to overcome the crisis. “In 100 days there is no clear policy to get out of the crisis. What we see is improvisation in the management of the economy and the country,” she said, and questioned internal conflicts and recent complaints. “These decisions between a minister (Espinoza) and a former president (Quiroga) are the result of governmental improvisation. There is nothing clear to stabilize the economy,” she stated.

From Unidad, deputy Alejandro Reyes supported the Minister of Economy, Gabriel Espinoza, and criticized the stance of Libre. “Libre became a non-constructive opposition that is not functional to Vice President Edmand Lara. During the campaign they promised 12 billion dollars in credits and we did not even obtain a third,” he said.

Reyes announced that his caucus will evaluate the current economic regulations. “We will review the economic laws and we are certain we will support them because Bolivia needs economic reactivation,” he said. Likewise, he maintained that there are positive signs: “Today the economy is reorganizing and the symptoms are visible: there is foreign currency, there is not much inflation, the dollar is falling, and there is greater stability.”

The debate comes after Minister Espinoza responded to Quiroga’s criticism that he observed the lack of economic laws approved in the government’s first 100 days.

BD/LE/MZS