Bolivian producers protest diesel price hike under Decree 5676

Agricultural and mining sectors in Bolivia are mobilizing against Supreme Decree 5676, which sets a referential diesel price of Bs 18 per liter for large consumers. While the price remains Bs 9.80 for small businesses and transporters, various organizations warn that the new regime is causing severe economic strain.

Key industry groups, including CONFEAGRO, ANAPO, and the Chamber of Agricultural Producers of the East (CAO), have called for the decree's repeal. They argue the measure increases production costs, threatens food security, and risks decreasing national agricultural output. Rice producers and sugarcane growers have already reported significant impacts, with some sectors warning that costs have tripled.

In addition to the price hike, producers are facing acute fuel shortages. This scarcity has fueled a black market where diesel is reportedly being sold for as much as Bs 30 per liter. Mining cooperatives in Potosí, represented by Fedecomin, have also declared a state of emergency, citing threats to the sustainability of cooperative mining activities due to rising energy costs.