Bolivia's Economy Minister to Face Interpellation on Key Issues Tuesday

Bolivia's Economy Minister is scheduled to appear before the Legislative Assembly on Tuesday for an interpellation session. Lawmakers intend to question him on four key issues: the handling of sovereign bonds, the status of Series B banknotes, the significant delay in approving the General State Budget (PGE), and the "Pari case," which involves alleged embezzlement from Banco Unión.

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The Vice President and ex-officio President of the Assembly must coordinate for when the interpellators are present. He should have called and coordinated with both titular and substitute deputies. Therefore, he calls for an interpellation today knowing that many of the interpellators are not eligible.

Concerns have been raised by some legislators regarding the composition of the interpellating group. Deputy Mauricio Taboada noted that many of the deputies summoned are substitutes and might not be available for the session, questioning the timing of the interpellation's scheduling. He also suggested that the minister could address the issue of his sworn financial declaration, although parliamentary rules typically restrict questions to the specific agenda items.

The interpellation process has been lengthy, with the initial request for questioning submitted in early June. Legislators like Ariel Checa highlighted that they have yet to receive satisfactory responses. The sovereign bond issue stems from allegations in May concerning seven irregular transactions involving the former president of the Central Bank of Bolivia. The questions about Series B banknotes focus on whether the insurance company has fully compensated for losses incurred in a plane crash on February 27.

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The interpellation document was submitted in early June, and we have not yet received a response to our demand.

Regarding the delayed General State Budget, which was approved and sanctioned late, deputies want to understand the reasons for the delay, especially as planning for the 2027 budget should already be underway. The Pari case, a high-profile investigation into a multi-million dollar theft at Banco Unión, also remains a significant point of inquiry for the minister.

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We can also take the opportunity, and it would be good and necessary to ask him what happened with the sworn declaration issue. Any authority can be asked a question; if I were minister, I would have no problem answering.