Bolivia: probe into ring that stole and adulterated fuel imported through Chilean ports
YPFB tanker trucks with a capacity of up to 33,000 liters allegedly were illegally offloading between 700 and 1,000 liters at the Chilean ports of Arica and Iquique
Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz on Tuesday denounced the existence of an international ring dedicated to stealing and adulterating gasoline and diesel imported into the country, with operations detected in Chile, Argentina, and Paraguay. According to the president, the scheme originated under the previous management of Yacimientos Petrolíferos Fiscales Bolivianos (YPFB), the state-owned fuel supply company.
The investigation, led by the Ministries of Government and Hydrocarbons along with the Attorney General’s Office, found that YPFB tanker trucks with a capacity of up to 33,000 liters were illegally offloading between 700 and 1,000 liters at the Chilean ports of Arica and Iquique. The stolen fuel was transferred to private vehicles and sold at clandestine stations in the Chilean municipality of Alto Hospicio. To make up for the missing volume, the remaining contents were mixed with water and used oil before entering Bolivia.
Interior Minister Marco Antonio Oviedo said the investigation covered the period from October 2025 to March 2026 and that approximately 5,000 tanker trucks were involved in the scheme. According to the preliminary findings, 150 million liters of adulterated fuel entered the country during that period, causing economic losses estimated at $150 million, as reported by EFE.
It pains us deeply that the homeland suffers this way. All those responsible will go to prison — some are already there. They will return what they stole, Paz declared, in an indirect reference to former President Luis Arce (2020–2025) and his son Marcelo Arce. The former head of state is in prison on charges of alleged embezzlement during his tenure as a minister under Evo Morales’s government, while his son is jailed on charges of laundering illicit proceeds.
The allegations follow months of protests by public transportation unions over widespread engine damage caused by low-quality fuel. More than 10,000 vehicle owners filed formal complaints with YPFB. Last week, the La Paz drivers’ federation blocked the city for two days over the same issue. In February, the government had acknowledged distributing substandard fuel, though Hydrocarbons Minister Carlos Medinacelli at the time attributed the problem to residue in storage tanks.
The day before the announcement, YPFB president Yussef Akly was removed and replaced by Claudia Cronenbold. The government also suspended gasoline supply contracts with commodities trading firms Vitol and Trafigura pending the outcome of investigations. Bolivia imports nearly all of its diesel and more than 60% of the gasoline it consumes.
Paz met Tuesday afternoon with Chilean President José Antonio Kast after notifying Chile’s Foreign Ministry of the investigation’s findings. Bolivian authorities said the results presented correspond to a first phase and that further conclusions and the names of the alleged ringleaders will be revealed in the coming weeks.
