YPFB diesel shortage fuels corruption claims, endangers sugarcane harvest

Demetrio Pérez, former president of the Association National of Oilseed Producers (ANAPO), said large diesel consumers such as Gracos pay extra amounts through “hidden windows” to obtain fuel from Yacimientos Petrolíferos Fiscales Bolivianos (YPFB). He described a system where the official price is paid at the proper windows while additional payments are made at concealed ones, alleging that this practice contributes to the recent diesel scarcity.

The Bolivian Ministry of Hydrocarbons announced it will forward the complaints to the appropriate authorities for investigation and denied any involvement in corrupt fuel commercialization.

Klaus Frerking, president of the Cámara Agropecuaria del Oriente (CAO), warned that persistent diesel queues threaten the upcoming sugarcane harvest. He estimated that up to 200,000 hectares could be left unharvested, jeopardizing national sugar and ethanol production, and called on YPFB to implement a permanent solution to the fuel supply problem.