YLB insisted that the rumors “do not respond to the truth and do respond to political interests,” since the company works for all Bolivians.

From last Saturday, the National Hydrocarbons Agency (ANH) reinforced controls on the marketing of fuels.

The district director of the body, Jorge Loayza, reaffirmed that fuel supply is guaranteed at the 121 service stations in La Paz, both in the city and in El Alto and the provinces.

The director of the ANH, Germán Jiménez, said on television that there was an excess demand of almost 10 million liters in May, due to speculation. However, supply was guaranteed to all service stations in the national territory. “From May 3rd to May 18th we have generated an excess demand of almost 10 million liters, as a result of audios, communications, and also from companies,” he said.

Jiménez explained that fuel shipments increased to 14 million liters due to the opening of storage plants on weekends, imputable to speculation. He also reported that the ANH is carrying out legal actions, and asked law enforcement agencies to accelerate them. He explained that, three weeks ago, based on audio circulating on social networks, they delivered the criminal complaint to the Departmental Directorate of Cochabamba.

The functionary also announced the presentation of a new accusation supported by videos, in which tanker truck drivers incite to generate disorders in fuel marketing. “We can understand that it is something armed because speculation has been escalating since May 3rd, with statements and videos that are circulating announcing that fuel is not going to arrive,” Jiménez lamented, and stressed that due to rumors about a false lack of fuel and to announced strikes, lines formed last Saturday at some service stations in the city of La Paz.

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