Paz Dismisses Economy Minister Espinoza After Congressional Censure

Congress censured Economy and Public Finance Minister José Gabriel Espinoza on Aug 18 after he skipped a scheduled interpellation on sovereign bond issuances and budget delays, citing prior trips to Santa Cruz and Brazil; 91 of 129 lawmakers present voted to censure him, amid separate questions over an undeclared luxury-vehicle purchase. Paz initially signaled Espinoza might stay in office pending a Constitutional Tribunal review, then reversed course and published a dismissal decree on Aug 21, naming Óscar Mario Justiniano — until then minister of Sustainable Production, Environment and Water — as interim Economy Minister. The government maintains the censure vote itself was unconstitutional, arguing the threshold requires two-thirds of the Assembly's full membership rather than two-thirds of those present.