In the major cities of Bolivia, long lines of vehicles have been recorded at gas stations due to irregular fuel supply. The Government attributes this situation to the lack of dollars for fuel imports, while residents report that prices of various daily consumption foods have increased.
According to a study by the Ombudsman's Office, 66% of fuel distributors are not selling diesel, and 38% have stopped distributing gasoline. In 39% of sales stations, vehicle lines exceed 100, and 43% of surveyed drivers have reported waiting times between 11 and 24 hours to obtain fuel.
The Bolivian government has promised to regularize the fuel supply by distributing 46 million liters of diesel and 20 million liters of gasoline throughout the country during this week. Meanwhile, in popular markets, many stalls are closed, and products have become unreasonably expensive.
In the words of Natividad Poma, a vendor, "Everything is expensive, it doesn't benefit us. Meat, rice, oil, everything is expensive, what we work for and earn as wages is not enough for us."
On the other hand, in the supermarkets of the State Food Production Support Company (Emapa), which offers products at subsidized prices, long lines of people seeking to purchase essential foods have been spotted. The liquidity crisis of dollars in Bolivia has made it difficult to import sufficient subsidized fuel.
Bolivian President Luis Arce has taken some measures to address this shortage, such as implementing telecommuting, continuous hours, and remote classes. In Bolivia, the price of special gasoline is 3.74 bolivianos per liter, and diesel is sold at 3.72 bolivianos per liter.
Protests against the government have been observed due to the fuel shortage and the rising prices of basic foods such as meat, chicken, oil, and rice. In 2022, Bolivia ended with an inflation rate of 9.97%, the highest since 2008, and in February 2023, the accumulated inflation is 3.24%.
