Bolivia cracks down on illegal fuel resale amid false 'gasolinazo' claims

Bolivia’s National Hydrocarbons Agency (ANH) launched an investigation in the city of Potosí after reports that fuel was being sold on the black market at up to Bs 30 per litre, far above the official price of Bs 6.96 for regular gasoline and Bs 11.00 for premium. The probe identified around 19 motorbike vendors repeatedly refilling and reselling fuel; their B‑sisa identification permits were blocked and the operators face possible criminal prosecution.

Separately, a fact‑checking report dismissed former president Evo Morales’s claim that a new decree (DS 5503) was causing a fresh “gasolinazo.” The higher prices Morales cited (above Bs 15 per litre) reflect privately imported gasoline and diesel sold by companies such as IntPetrol and Empacar under a regulatory framework that predates and remains separate from state‑subsidised fuel sales by YPFB. The decree in question was abrogated, and subsequent decrees (DS 5218, 5271, 5313, 5517) govern private import and sale of fuels, preventing them from being subsidised. The agency confirmed that these private imports are not evidence of a new state‑driven price hike.