"Garbage gasoline" case: Deputies' commission finds omissions, control failures, and technical flaws

Bolivia's Chamber of Deputies is debating the final report from a special investigative commission on the "garbage gasoline" case. The commission recommends forwarding findings to the Comptroller General's Office and the Public Ministry to investigate administrative and criminal responsibilities.

The report concludes that the import and sale of substandard gasoline were not accidental. Instead, it resulted from a series of political and regulatory decisions, administrative oversights, and technical failures, including flaws in quality control.

The commission's findings implicate officials from two government administrations. Former President Luis Arce, ex-Minister of Hydrocarbons Alejandro Gallardo, and Mauricio Medinaceli are named for regulatory flexibility. YPFB's former presidents Armin Dorgathen and Yussef Akly are also mentioned for their roles in importing unstable fuel.

Officials from the National Hydrocarbons Agency (ANH), including former directors Germán Jiménez, Joel Callaú Justiniano, and Margot Ayala, are cited for alleged oversight failures and exceptional authorizations granted to YPFB. The recommendations extend to current administration officials, with competent bodies tasked to determine responsibilities.

The debate began with low attendance, with around 45 deputies present during the reading of the report. The commission's work focused on the entry, import, and commercialization of destabilized gasoline in Bolivia.