Bolivia moves to recover 233 million bolivianos from 2019 election and curb social benefit fraud

Deputy José Maldonado of the Libre alliance endorsed a proposal put forward by TSE vocal Carlos Goitia to retrieve the 233 million bolivianos spent on the 2019 general election that was later annulled. Maldonado said the funds must be repaid to the state and called for involvement of the Fiscalía and the Contraloría, blaming former MAS officials for the financial damage.

Economy Minister José Gabriel Espinoza reported irregularities in past social‑benefit payments, citing nonexistent beneficiaries and duplicate claims. To prevent future fraud, the government will create a Registro Social de Hogares, financed by a $12.5 million loan from the Inter‑American Development Bank, while $485 million will support the Renta Dignidad program. The registry aims to better target vulnerable households, digitise transfers and reduce corruption.