Bolivia faces conflicting proposals over investment and mining laws

Bolivia is experiencing diverging interests regarding its economic and natural resource regulations. Business organizations, representing approximately 75% of the national productive sector's GDP, have proposed a new investment law to the Ministry of Economy. This proposal, developed by groups including Caneb, the National Chamber of Industries, and Cainco, aims to provide legal certainty, reduce bureaucracy, and streamline contract approvals to attract both domestic and foreign capital.

In contrast, the La Paz Departmental Workers' Central (COD) and various mining federations have rejected the government's draft for a new Mining Code. Labor leaders argue the proposed code undermines state sovereignty over natural resources and mirrors legal frameworks from the 1990s. While the Ministry of Mining is attempting to socialize the project to modernize sector regulation, mining organizations claim they were excluded from the formulation process. The tension arises as the country seeks to manage projected investments of up to $19 billion between 2026 and 2030.