Bolivia's YPFB gasoline scandal triggers arrests and office raids

Bolivian authorities arrested former legal director of state oil company Yacimientos Petrolíferos Fiscales Bolivianos (YPFB), Daniela Durán Antezana, as part of an investigation into a “destabilized gasoline” that reportedly damaged vehicle engines across several regions. The probe also led to the arrest of former Hydrocarbons Minister Mauricio Medinaceli on charges of failing to ensure quality control in fuel imports.

A special commission of the Plurinational Legislative Assembly and the public prosecutor’s office conducted raids on YPFB’s central offices in Santa Cruz and on private properties linked to the executives. Officials seek documents related to contracts the former legal director signed that facilitated the importation of the criticized fuel. The investigation focuses on alleged influence‑peddling, economic damage to the state, and violations of procurement rules.