LatinNews Daily - 09 September 2020

* Bolivia’s economy minister, Óscar Ortiz, has reported that between January and June, the country ran a fiscal deficit of B$20bn (US$2.9bn), equal to the total deficit initially forecast for the whole of 2020. Ortiz explained that “due to the Covid-19 [coronavirus] pandemic we have had a drop in income that was not foreseen”. The interim government has financed the deficit with B$7bn in internal credit from the country’s central bank (BCB), but has been unable to secure international financing, as the legislature – controlled by the opposition Movimiento al Socialismo (MAS) party – has denied requests to approve loans such as the US$327m offered by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), citing the government’s refusal to share the details of repayment terms. Senate president, Eva Copa, yesterday criticised the government for making a US$1.6m interest payment on this IMF loan, despite its rejection in the legislature.

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