Status of electricity availability in Bolivia… or lack of…?

Pagina Siete: Guaracachi was supposed to generate electricity (82 MW) to the national system, by 11/01/2010. Because of that “delay,” the Authority for Electricity (AE) has established a fine of 939 thousand Bolivianos, because the generating unit Guaracachi 12 is not ready. The original budget for this combined cycle was 40 million dollars without taxes, insurance. In September…

Mobile phone prices in Bolivia

La Razon published today a report on how much it cost to use any of the mobile phone companies in Bolivia. The chart above shows pre-paid rates per minute. There are three companies that have this service; current regulation prevent other companies such as the succesful telephone cooperatives that are nationwide, i.e. COTAS; COTEL et…

Bolivian society perception regarding TIPNIS struggle…

Today, Bolivian Thoughts in an Emerging World has picked three cartoons that appeared on 10/4/11; they best represent current state of play regarding the TIPNIS protest-walk towards La Paz, and the awkward and changing discourse of current Bolivian government. This cartoon is from El Diario, it portrays how the Chapare region where coca leafs is…

Briefs: strikes, blockades; agriculture; blackouts; TIPNIS

Strikes and blockades: Roads in Tarija are blocked today; the major Workers Union (COB) is calling for a 48 hour strike, starting this Thursday (pending issues with the government); yesterday Cochabamba – La Paz road was blocked near kilometer 7 in Cochabamba as the population did not want a water treatment plant there. Agriculture: Prices for soy;…

Bolivia continues to import more food supplies

The Bolivian Institute for Foreign Trade (IBCE), has been kind enough to send us an important chart that shows Bolivia continues to import more and more food supplies. The green bars are the value in millions of dollars. The red line shows the volume in thousands of tons. The yellow box reads: “503 thousand tons of…

Bolivian briefs: mining; fires; fexpocruz; Potosi demands

Mining: Bolivia lost the opportunity to produce more when international prices for tin, silver, zinc et al were high. As Pagina Siete reports by comparing the first semester of 2011 with 2010. http://www.paginasiete.bo/2011-09-27/Economia/NoticiaPrincipal/12Pla00127-09-11-P720110927MAR.aspx Uncontrolled fires: Two new fire sources add to the uncontrolled fire that has been burning for the last 15 days in the Sararenda mountain….