Fuel crisis in Bolivia calls for fast solutions

A menos que se ofrezcan soluciones rápidas, se prevé que la crisis empeore rápidamente

A severe fuel shortage was reported Thursday in La Paz, Bolivia, causing a reduction of at least 20% in public transport and long queues at petrol stations, with lorries facing waits of over 20 hours to refuel, particularly for diesel, leading to congestion in areas like Obrajes and San Pedro.

The crisis, ongoing since September 2024, has prompted threats of nationwide protests starting next Monday if no solutions are provided. The State-run YPFB promised to increase gasoline and diesel shipments. “We are going to dispatch 1,900 cubic meters of gasoline and around 1,700 cubic meters of diesel. All of this will go to our different customers, most of them service stations in the city and provinces,” YPFB’s Marketing Manager Álvaro Tumiri explained. The government attributes the fuel crisis to a lack of foreign currency for imports, exacerbating economic challenges.

In addition, hundreds of gold miners protested in La Paz, demanding solutions to fuel and dollar shortages, which have persisted since February 2023, alongside rising costs of basic goods. Miners and merchants also called for recognition of cooperative systems and government action to address inflation, which reached 5.95% for the first four months of 2025, despite a slight decline in April.

”I dare to say that there must be a 20% detriment (to public transportation) because the distribution is not normal. We have different pumps that at this moment are dry, they do not have even a minimum percentage to be able to make the distribution, except the Uruguay service station, but it is not enough,” Limbert Tancara, of the Association of Free Transport (ATL), told local media.

“Beyond the fact that a solution is put in place at this time, the annoyance, the damage, already exists,” he added. “Unfortunately, our heavy transport, fleets, and urban transport are being harmed in a big way,” he further explained. “There is no longer credibility, you can no longer work,” he also noted.

In the current scenario, Tancara fears only 60% of public transport units will be available while the rest would be lining up to refuel.

“The fuel shortage is unsustainable. If the Government does not solve the fuel issue, we will be forced to mobilize from Monday nationwide,” Domingo Ramos of the transport sector told ANF.