Bolivia announces legal action over abandoned Parliament of Unasur headquarters

Bolivia's government has announced legal action against officials responsible for the construction of the Parliament of Unasur, a grand building that has stood unused since its inauguration in 2018. The facility, located in Cochabamba, has become a costly symbol of governmental inefficiency, often referred to as a "white elephant."

Minister of Public Works Mauricio Zamora stated that legal processes will identify responsible parties, emphasizing the need to find a use for the infrastructure. The building, which cost 500 million bolivianos (approximately $71.8 million), was reportedly built for "ideological purposes" and has never hosted a session. Zamora mentioned potential new uses, including for education, health, or the police force.

Transparency Vice-Minister Yamil García echoed these sentiments, lamenting that the resources spent on the Parliament could have benefited Bolivians through other projects. He indicated that past administrations' decisions, which he claims have harmed the country's economy, will be investigated. The Parliament of Unasur, conceived in 2008, faced challenges and eventually entered a crisis in 2017, leading to its operational failure.

The situation mirrors other instances of underutilized state infrastructure, such as the former Unasur headquarters in Quito, which Ecuador's current government reclaimed for educational purposes. Bolivia now faces the task of determining a practical and beneficial future for the costly, abandoned parliamentary building.

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Veremos a qué se destina, si a la educación, a la salud, a la Policía, veremos, tomaremos la mejor decisión.