Bolivia fuel crisis: Authorities report massive diversion and systemic corruption

Bolivian authorities and civic leaders have reported significant irregularities in the national fuel distribution system. Government operations led by the National Hydrocarbons Agency (ANH) have uncovered instances of fuel diversion, illegal resale, and the use of modified tankers to facilitate smuggling. In Santa Cruz, authorities intervened a collection site where fuel was being siphoned into various containers for resale at inflated prices, resulting in the seizure of 2,500 liters and two arrests.

Other reported irregularities include the detection of a tanker with modified valves and hidden compartments, as well as vehicles equipped with double tanks to carry both gasoline and diesel simultaneously. In La Paz, gasoline was found being sold at prices exceeding regulated rates, and a discrepancy of approximately 37,000 liters of diesel is currently under investigation.

Agustín Zambrana, Vice President of the Comité pro Santa Cruz, has escalated these concerns, alleging that more than 22 million liters of fuel have been diverted. Zambrana asserted that the corruption is not limited to individual gas stations but extends to the programming and control systems managed by Yacimientos Petrolíferos Fiscales Bolivianos (YPFB) and the ANH. He called for criminal investigations into more than 70 suspected cases of mismanagement and theft within the supply chain.