La Paz, April 21 (EFE).- The Government of Rodrigo Paz denounced this Tuesday that the route of the state-owned Boliviana de Aviación (BoA) to Havana, which registered low passenger occupancy, was operated for “ideological reasons” and without “technical” feasibility studies, with an economic damage of 18.4 million bolivianos (about 2.6 million dollars) to the State in two years.
The complaint, which has already been presented to the Public Ministry, is the result of an audit and was made known by the Vice Minister of Transparency, Yamil García, and the Minister of Public Works, Services and Housing, Mauricio Zamora, on whose portfolio BoA depends.
García indicated that six former authorities of the Government of Luis Arce (2020-2025), whose names he did not reveal, are reported to the Prosecutor’s Office for the possible crimes of “uneconomic conduct and breach of duties.”
The vice minister recalled that BoA began flying from the eastern city of Santa Cruz to Havana in October 2023 and mentioned that the opening of the route had to be preceded by a technical report “that certifies the profitability of these operations.”
According to García, in September 2023, instead of the technical study, another document was presented that indicated that “the beginning of operations” towards Cuba “is planned in accordance with the presidential commitment.”
“This shows that there have been ideological reasons that have prevailed over the technical variables and that have caused (damage of) 18.4 million bolivianos (2.6 million dollars), despite the fact that the feasibility report indicated that other types of routes had to be approved with preference, such as to Córdoba (Argentina) or Bogotá,” he said.
When the route was inaugurated, the then vice chancellor Freddy Mamani Machaca indicated that the Bolivian state route arrived in Havana “within the framework of strengthening economic and commercial relations, cooperation, solidarity, but fundamentally reciprocity.”
“Cuba has always been in solidarity with the countries of the region, and in that aspect, this route will be part of that solidarity embodied between our peoples,” Mamani stated then.
Of the total amount reported, for operating costs, the damage amounts to 14.4 million bolivianos (about 2 million dollars), since the plane assigned to the route was a Boeing 737-800 with capacity for 168 passengers, although its occupancy was always low, according to the audit.
García mentioned as examples that on November 30, 2023 the plane flew “with only 17 passengers”, on two flights in February 2024 it transported no more than 24 people and even on September 19, 2024 it was “with only 11 passengers.”
Another 4 million bolivianos (more than $574,000) are added to the 14.4 million bolivianos (more than $574,000) because the airline had to make payments in Havana in dollars and acquired foreign currency in the parallel market at an exchange rate of 17.5 bolivianos, compared to the official price of 6.96 bolivianos per dollar, according to the complaint.
“BoA took the liberty of hiring financial intermediaries who have charged an additional 10% for carrying out this type of exchange operations in the parallel market,” said the vice minister.
He also denounced that in that period, BoA made the “physical transfer of money” in cash for a total amount of 11.8 million bolivianos (1.6 million dollars) to Havana “regardless of any consideration of the international banking system.”
For this reason, National City Bank ordered in 2023 “the closure of BoA’s accounts in the international market, because it presented this type of behavior and operations that were not in accordance with international standards,” he added.
Paz, who took office last November, distanced himself from the Governments of Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela, countries that were allies of the Administrations of the leftists Evo Morales (2006-2019) and Luis Arce. EFE
