Government Blames IMF Conditions for Diesel Hike, Rejects Repeal

Minister of the Presidency Fernando Aramayo, meeting with President Paz, cabinet members, and municipal mayors, said Supreme Decree 5676 "is one of the conditions we have from the International Monetary Fund ... because it is not sustainable for the State to finance an item that has had a very large corruption component and is bleeding the General Treasury dry," rejecting calls to abrogate the decree. The statement came as rejection of the decree widened: agricultural producers, transport confederations, and rice and sugarcane producers joined peasant organizations in opposing the measure, with Santa Cruz producers giving the government 48 hours to reverse it.