LatinNews Daily - 18 August 2026

*Bolivia’s hydrocarbon and energy ministry has announced the elimination of a diesel subsidy for large consumers, which will now have to purchase diesel at international prices. Other diesel users, including transport workers as well as individuals, will continue to pay the subsidised price of B$9.80 (US$0.84) per litre, whereas the price paid by large consumers has risen to around B$18 per litre. The hydrocarbon and energy ministry said that this change is a response to the high price of fuel globally, which it said is incentivising speculation and a black market within Bolivia. President Rodrigo Paz’s government triggered large protests when it began phasing out fuel subsidies in December 2025, announcing that fuel prices would be brought in line with the international market. However, in July this year the government issued a decree freezing fuel prices for six months in response to surging prices.

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