March of the trolls
Perhaps the most significant development is the government’s implied admission of economic stagnation for the first time when almost two-thirds of the year is over, accompanying a cautious relaxation of monetary policy. Leer más
A recent scandal has emerged from Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia, involving a political figure and a high-profile murder case. Fernando Ceremedo, a libertarian political influencer and advisor to the Bolivian presidency, is accused of orchestrating the shooting of activist Nadia Beller, who claimed to be pregnant by Ceremedo. The Bolivian prosecutor has charged Ceremedo with attempted femicide, but as of now, he has not been formally indicted.
The evidence linking Ceremedo to the shooting is still unclear, as the hitmen reportedly fired at point-blank range, yet the victim survived to make allegations from the hospital.
The case remains under investigation, and doubts about its authenticity are raised. If it is proven to be a staged incident, any insinuations about Ceremedo's involvement would be abominable. Nevertheless, the investigation must continue to uncover the truth, along with the scandal surrounding kickbacks in the dissolved ANDIS national disability agency, which Beller's accusations have highlighted. Moreover, the murky social network activities of Ceremedo should also be thoroughly examined.
In addition to this Bolivia-centric story, the broader economic situation in the country is also reported. For the first time since almost two-thirds of the year, the government has acknowledged economic stagnation. Monetary policy has been cautiously relaxed, allowing almost two-thirds of the year to pass. The growth forecast for this year is modest, with some sources predicting it to reach only two percent, while the IMF's World Economic Outlook report still predicts a growth rate of 3.5 percent.
This growth is primarily attributed to the impressive expansion of farm and fuel exports, as well as the mining sector. However, the uneven distribution of growth in the economy may result in significant disparities between booms and recessions.
The monetary policy shift, which occurred too late to affect last week's editorial, involves lifting the restriction on dollar credits for companies earning in greenbacks. However, the lending volume to the overall economy is capped at 15 percent of bank dollar deposits, driven by concerns about currency instability. Central Bank governor Santiago Bausili has emphasized that there is no intention to inject money into economic revival or to support uncompetitive industries, with a focus on labor-intensive construction to address the housing shortage and infrastructure issues.
While this policy adjustment demonstrates a pragmatic shift by a libertarian administration, it does not fully address the pressing issue of widespread debt, with several million people facing unpayable arrears. The government's actions remain uncertain in the aftermath of this scandal, and the upcoming general elections are overshadowed by the violence in Bolivia. The potential for future scandals in Santa Cruz adds further uncertainty to the political landscape.
Written by urgent.news from Buenos Aires Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
