The Foreign Ministry stated during the meeting that Paz and Kast reaffirmed their intention to join forces against international crime along their shared border.

Paz emphasized, during the talks, the problem of fuel theft and its subsequent adulteration, a phenomenon that “seriously affects Bolivia’s citizens and the economy.”

Kast, in turn, expressed his willingness to collaborate in investigations related to these crimes. Both instructed the relevant institutions to strengthen their coordinated efforts.

The text reads, “The two presidents agreed on the importance of continuing to strengthen bilateral cooperation and political coordination to confront the threat of transnational organized crime in the border area and the region.”

The virtual meeting took place a few hours after Paz denounced the existence of an international network dedicated to the theft, smuggling, and sabotage of fuel, which adulterated hydrocarbons in Chile and then smuggled them into Bolivia.

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