Latin Press

La Jornada Newspaper
Monday, December 9, 2024, p. 23

La Paz., More than one million quintals of rice hidden in sugar mills in the municipality of Montero, department of Santa Cruz, evidenced the economic war that the Bolivian government faces today, according to an official source.

Operations have been carried out. For example, in Montero, more than a million quintals of hidden rice, five mills that have been intervened, on December 6revealed the Minister of the Presidency, María Nela Prada, at a press conference.

He indicated that official actions in this situation consisted of requesting precautionary measures and confiscating the product by order of a judge, in accordance with article 71 of the Penal Code.

He reported that a fair price will be paid to the owners of the seized rice, and then market it at a fair price to the final consumer in the domestic market.

Prada maintained that it is inconceivable that rice is stored to increase its price in the domestic market or smuggle it to neighboring countries, when producers reported that the food did not exist due to the climate crisis.

He stressed that everyone has the right to earn what they deserve, but not incur in a crime of profiteering and speculation, hoarding, hiding food to make prices rise.

Sabotage

Regarding the artificial shortage of edible oil in the domestic market, Prada warned that demand represents less than 20 percent of total production and denounced that there is sabotage and shortage with something as sensitive as food.

He clarified that the supply of refined soybean oil in the country is 457,292 tons (t), exports reached 328,609 tons and domestic consumption reached 75,992 tons until November 15, and it is estimated that the demand national until December 31 is 12,944 t. Even if we meet the domestic market and exports, there is a balance of 39,747 tons, he said.

It is, he indicated, unscrupulous people who, for political or economic interests, hide the product to cause the price to rise and earn more.

Prada ratified the criterion that there is a economic war what does it have to do with sabotage and shortage operations that are not coincidental, that respond to a strategy of attrition, of political weakening.