INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
broader economic crisis fueled by years of declining natural gas production and insufficient investment.YPFB President Armin Dorgathen
warned that 2025 revenues could fall further to $1.5 billion
production dropped from 60.8 million cubic meters per day (MMcmd) in 2014 to just 31.9 MMcmd in 2023
This decline has forced Bolivia to become a net importer of fuel, with subsidies keeping domestic prices artificially low at one-third of
(Photo Internet reproduction)The economic consequences are severe
Long lines at gas stations and restrictions on dollar withdrawals reflect a worsening crisis that has paralyzed the economy.Political
instability compounds the problem
The ruling Movement for Socialism (MAS) party faces internal divisions between President Luis Arce and former leader Evo Morales
These divisions are weakening governance ahead of the 2025 elections.A failed coup attempt in June 2024 further highlighted the fragility of
YPFB plans to invest $500 million in exploration and exploitation in 2025 to reverse the decline.This follows insufficient investments of
$281 million in exploration and $225 million in exploitation in 2024
However, experts remain skeptical about rapid recovery, citing depleted reserves and reduced export markets in Brazil and
The socialist policies that once fueled growth now threaten to push the country into deeper financial and political instability.
