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The Government asked Bolivian banks to repatriate capital from abroad to sort out an apparent minor liquidity problem in the financial sector. According to the Economy Minister, Luis Arce, Bolivian banks have a lot of dollars on foreign accounts, but they are not bringing back this capital. He added that the Government already asked them to repatriate this money.
With a call to preserve democracy and peace, the Interamerican Human Rights Court (CIDH) began in Sucre, Bolivia, its 171 term session. This is the first time that the organisation meets in Bolivia. The magistrates will review 25 civil organisation demands from 14 countries. The sessions will not include demands from the host country. However, they will listen without opinion the claims from Bolivian civil organisations thad demand the Government to comply with the results of the referendum of 21 February 2016 (21F), when 51% of voters denied President Evo Morales the possibility of rerunning this year for a fourth consecutive term.
Bolivia is the country with more low productivity employment in Latin America, according to a study. According to the Inaset Foundation, low productivity employment is over 60% with a negative impact on incomes and the country’s development.
The slowdown of the world’s leading economies will increase the uncertainty in Latin America, warned the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC). According to the organisation, the slowdown in China, the US and Europe will impact negatively in the region which can expect a growth of only 1.7%.
Bolivian producers expect to export meat to the Russian and Chinese market by mid-year. A Russian delegation will visit Bolivia this month to inspect the refrigerating plants enabled to export meat and to review the sanitary protocol that should be agreed between Russia and Bolivia.
Bolivia plan to invest $US1.4 billion to explore 23 sectors in the country and drill 25 new gas wells on the hope of finding new reserves. The investment will be financed by national and international companies.
The Bolivian government signed a joint venture with the Chinese consortium Xinjiang TBEA Group-Baocheng to industrialised lithium in the country. The joint venture plan to open eight lithium plants in the Coipasa and Pastos Grandes salt flats in Potosi with an investment of $US2.3 bn. The project also aims to open a lithium batteries factory in China.
Gold cooperatives exported in 2018 $US 1.1 billion of metallic gold, but only pay about $US 30 million for royalties. The main markets are India and the United Arab Emirates. According to the former mining authorities, the extraction of metallic gold is having a negative environmental impact.
Bolivia sent an invitation to Brazil to continue the development of bi-oceanic train that will connect the Atlantic in Brazil with the Pacific in Peru, going through Bolivia. According to the Bolivian government, the invitation was sent to the government of Jair Bolsonaro, asking to name the authorities that will continue the dialogue with Bolivia and Peru. Brazil has not reply to the invitation but has asked more time to define their authorities.
The European Parliament became the first institution to openly back Juan Guaido as interim President of Venezuela, siding with him against Nicolas Maduro. The institutions urged the rest of the Europan Union to proceed in the same way.
On 2012, 2013 and 2015, Bolivia maintained a score of 34 in the perception of corruption; while in 2014 achieved its highest historical score reaching 35. However, the situation deteriorated by 2016 and 2017 with 33 in both years until reaching 2018 with only 29 points in the perception of corruption.
