Transport unions suspend northern Santa Cruz road blockade after agreements on diesel and highways

Transport unions in Bolivia’s Norte Integrado region called off a blockade planned for Monday after securing commitments on fuel supplies and road conditions at a meeting in Montero on Sunday.

The agreement brings together the transport sector, Public Works Minister Mauricio Zamora, YPFB Vice President Víctor Hugo Blacut, municipal authorities and the Bolivian Highway Administration, known as ABC. The signed document addresses two of the unions’ main complaints: fuel availability and deteriorating roads.

From next week, up to 600,000 liters of fuel per week will be sent to nine service stations in Montero, subject to availability. The municipalities of San Carlos and Fernández Alonso will also receive supplies. Public transport operators will receive priority during loading through the assignment of a dedicated hose, a measure intended to reduce queues. Small producers will be allowed to obtain up to 2,500 liters of diesel per month under existing regulations.

YPFB and the National Hydrocarbons Agency will coordinate distribution checks, while transport representatives will participate as social monitors. The agreement also responds to complaints about allegedly poor-quality gasoline. Authorities will take samples at different Montero stations and send them to laboratories in the presence of the hydrocarbons agency.

On roads, ABC pledged to begin maintenance on Tuesday, September 8, with the aim of eliminating potholes on Montero’s western ring road. Officials also reported efforts to secure $4 million to pave part of the route, followed by a tender process. A further 20 million bolivianos will fund emergency rehabilitation at critical points between Warnes and Yapacaní. The parties agreed to meet again in a month to review progress. The source text ends while describing an additional commitment by Zamora to promote another decree.