US Edition
How a Shrunken Piece of Bread Explains Bolivia’s Economic Catastrophe Ahead of Elections
LA PAZ, BOLIVIA, AUG 11 – Subsidized bread rolls have shrunk nearly 40% amid inflation and subsidy costs, signaling economic strain and uncertainty ahead of Bolivia's presidential election.
- Bolivia held a presidential election on August 17 amid severe economic distress and a fractured political field following former president Evo Morales' disqualification.
- The election follows deep economic instability marked by inflation at a 40-year high, dwindling reserves near $100 million, and growing external debt of $13.3 billion.
- Amid rising costs, subsidized bakeries cut the staple bread size from 100 grams to 60 grams while demands to sell bread at market prices triggered a 24-hour strike last month.
- Right-Wing frontrunners Samuel Doria Medina and Jorge Quiroga advocate ending subsidies considered unsustainable, with Doria Medina calling them “the greatest absurdity.”
- Experts warn the next government faces urgent economic “rapid open-heart surgery” amid political division, with public discontent visible in high null vote projections and shrinking purchasing power.
48 Articles
48 Articles
Malay Mail
AlKhaleej TodayNo bread, no fuel, no dollars: How Bolivia went from boom to bust
LA PAZ (Bolivia), Aug 12 — A bread roll has become a symbol of a severe economic crisis in Boliva that looks set to decide the outcome of the most significant elections in nearly two decades.The marraqueta, which is subsidised by the state, is the baguette of Bolivia.But even the humble “battle bread,” as it is nicknamed, is hard to come by these days in La Paz as the government runs out of the dollars it needs to import essentials such as fuel …
Associated Press News
How a shrunken piece of bread explains Bolivia's economic catastrophe ahead of elections
Much of what ails Bolivia right now seems to converge in a shrunken piece of subsidized bread that La Paz residents call “pan de batalla” or “battle bread.”
Bolivia faces historic election amid economic crisis and political split
Bolivia heads to the polls on August 17 in what could become the first presidential election in its history to be decided in a second round by popular vote, reflecting a fractured political field and deep economic instability.
On a corner in downtown La Paz, days before the general elections on August 17, Wilson Paz visits more than a dozen stalls but can't find fresh bread: the economic crisis has once again left bakers without flour. "We're eagerly awaiting the elections to finally arrive so we can change this model that has impoverished us so much," says this 39-year-old self-employed worker with a family of seven. Shortages of food, fuel, and dollars are exacerbat…
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 52% of the sources are Center
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
