Bolivia Roundup: Social media disinformation, COVID cases surge, march for Camacho
Facebook and Tiktok, where disinformation reigns in Bolivia
A report by independent outlet Bolivia Verifica shows that over 42% of disinformation and fake news were circulated via Facebook in 2023, a slight decrease from 2022 when over 50% of fake news was spread on Meta’s flagship platform. Another key finding of Bolivia Verifica is the increasing role of TikTok in spreading fake news. In 2023, 26% of disinformation pieces were found there, a sharp increase from the 4% found in 2022. According to the report, this may indicate that these efforts are targeting younger audiences. Former President Evo Morales was identified to be both the largest disseminator and the biggest victim of fake news.
Construction industry grew 1% in 2023
The construction industry in Bolivia has reported timid growth throughout 2023. A study conducted by Santa Cruz Construction Chamber (Cadecocruz) and cited by El Deber shows that in 2023 the industry only grew 1.02%, and its outlook for 2024 is not entirely optimistic, as it sits around 2.4%, when the industry grew at a 3.8% rate in 2022. This is because of poor government execution, low public investment, and scarcity of diesel throughout the country. Javier Arze, general manager of Cadecocruz, lamented that budget execution has been remarkably low during the current administration. “Historically, if we analyze the last 30 years, budget execution surpassed 95%. In the last three years, we have barely reached 63%. This means something is not working,” Arze said.
Thousands march to demand release of opposition figure
La Razón reports that on Thursday, hundreds of supporters of Luis Fernando Camacho, a prominent opposition leader and former governor of Santa Cruz, held a caravan to demand his release, one year after his arrest. “Free our governor,” was the main chant as hundreds paraded Santa Cruz, the country’s largest city and its economic powerhouse. In 2019, Camacho led massive protests against the election of Evo Morales, which he claimed was plagued by irregularities. Three years later he was arrested on terrorism charges and the attorney general’s office said his case was connected with the toppling of Morales.
Chief of police denies arrest warrant against former President
According to Los Tiempos, Álvaro Álvarez, the chief of Bolivia’s police, told the press on Thursday there is no order to apprehend former President and leader of the leftist Movement for Socialism (MAS), Evo Morales Ayma. Álvarez’s statement comes shortly after Morales denounced a plot to arrest him “on fabricated charges and false accusations.” The former President said such plans did not come to fruition because patriotic cops warned him. Carlos Eduardo del Castillo, Minister of Government, also denied Morales’ claims and said the former President is a “compulsive liar.”
Bolivia declares epidemiological alert due to surge in COVID cases
In a week, Bolivia has reported 847 new COVID-19 cases, a 74% increase from last week’s 487 new cases. This triggered an epidemiological alert by the Health Ministry. “This is not the first alert we have issued. When we have diseases that start spreading, we launch such alerts to warn the system and have all protocols ready,” said Minister María Renée Castro. According to Prensa Latina, Castro pointed out that cases in the country’s capital, La Paz, rose by 139%, from 51 to 122 new weekly infections, whereas in Santa Cruz, they rose by 100%, from 69 to 138. Cochabamba had the highest number of infections, with 523, a 73% increase from last week.
