Former Hydrocarbon Minister Medinaceli Arrested over Contaminated Fuel in Bolivia
Bolivian police arrested former minister Mauricio Medinaceli over the state purchase of contaminated fuel that damaged more than 30,000 vehicles and generated 70,000 complaints.
Arrest of former Bolivian minister over adulterated fuel scandal
Bolivian police detained former Hydrocarbon Minister Mauricio Medinaceli in La Paz on Tuesday as part of an investigation into the state acquisition of contaminated fuel that caused damage to more than 30,000 vehicles, according to eleconomista.com.mx.
Medinaceli, a 54-year-old economist, was transported in handcuffs to the Public Prosecutor's Office and subsequently taken to a police facility, according to images distributed by local media.
The former official had previously been named in a parliamentary report that held high-ranking officials of President Rodrigo Paz's government responsible for a lack of quality controls in the fuel purchase. Medinaceli held the Hydrocarbon portfolio from the start of Paz's government in November 2025 until his replacement in April of this year.
"Thanks to the complaint I filed (...), the arrest of the former minister was achieved today," stated opposition deputy Lissa Claros on her social media accounts. "An important step so that those truly responsible for the contaminated fuel answer to justice," she added.
Initial complaints about engine damage began to multiply in January, following President Paz's decision to eliminate fuel subsidies. The measure was announced with the promise of guaranteeing fuel supply and reducing long queues at petrol stations.
According to data from state-owned oil company YPFB, more than 70,000 complaints for damage had been registered by the end of June. Around 36,000 affected vehicle owners had already received monetary compensation.
Source: Google News BO — Crime