Bolivia faces diesel queues as minister vows to fight 'conspiracy'
Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
TLDR
- Bolivia is experiencing fuel shortages, with long queues for diesel reported across the country.
- The new Minister of Hydrocarbons and Energy, Marcelo Blanco, pledged to restore supply and combat corruption contributing to the problem.
- Road blockades occurred but were cleared, as the government works to normalize fuel distribution amidst public discontent.
The nation is grappling with a severe diesel shortage, leaving citizens frustrated and vehicles lined up for hours at gas stations. The situation has escalated to the point of road blockades in the La Paz department, though authorities report these have since been cleared.
Hay distribuciรณn activa, seguimiento en territorio y control permanente para garantizar que el combustible llegue donde tiene que llegar y dar tranquilidad a la patria.
Minister of Hydrocarbons and Energy, Marcelo Blanco, has acknowledged the ongoing crisis, stating that continuous operations are underway to restore the supply of diesel. He recognized the need for significant changes within the ministry and vowed to eliminate corruption, which he believes is harming ordinary citizens and exacerbating the problem.
Tenemos que acabar con la corrupciรณn, tenemos que acabar con esa gente que le estรก haciendo daรฑo al ciudadano de a pie, porque no solamente nos hace daรฑo como gobierno, le hace daรฑo a esa gente que no puede subirse a un taxi o ese taxista que no puede llevar el pan a su casa.
Blanco described the situation as a "conspiracy" against the country and its people, emphasizing that such actions cannot be tolerated. The government's focus is now on ensuring fuel reaches its intended destinations and restoring public confidence. The public's growing discontent highlights the urgency of the situation and the need for swift, effective solutions.
Este complot, o lo que haya sido, le ha hecho daรฑo a la poblaciรณn, no nos ha hecho daรฑo (sรณlo) a nosotros, han complotado contra el paรญs, contra la patria y eso no puede quedarse asรญ.
Originally published by El Deber in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.