President Rodrigo Paz announced Bolivia will end its national diesel subsidy and move to a unified price equal to the foreign acquisition cost to address chronic fuel shortages. Bolivia imports about 90% of its diesel; the government has been spending roughly $55m a week on subsidies. The change takes effect today and replaces August’s dual-track pricing (18 bolivianos/liter for high-consumption users — about $2.60 — and a subsidized 9.80 bolivianos/liter for others). Officials cited rampant fue

President Rodrigo Paz announced Bolivia will end its national diesel subsidy and move to a unified price equal to the foreign acquisition cost to address chronic fuel shortages. Bolivia imports about 90% of its diesel; the government has been spending roughly $55m a week on subsidies. The change takes effect today and replaces August’s dual-track pricing (18 bolivianos/liter for high-consumption users — about $2.60 — and a subsidized 9.80 bolivianos/liter for others). Officials cited rampant fuel smuggling and black‑market resale as primary drivers of the weekly losses. The government said domestic prices will follow global benchmarks and fall if international costs decline, and announced targeted relief measures, including direct cash transfers and concessional credit lines for households and key economic sectors.