'Unity To Overcome the Crisis', Bolivia's President Demands

Bolivia's President Luis Arce on Friday called on the population to remain united to overcome the multiple crises facing their country.

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"Bolivian families are going through very difficult times because of the pandemic and the economic crisis. We are working tirelessly to overcome these multiple crises and now more than ever we need the unity of the Bolivian people," he said.

Given the seriousness of the COVID-19 second wave, Arce recalled that the coup-based regime led by Jeanine Añez (2019-2020) hid the true data of the epidemiological crisis, which generated cumulative consequences that continue to affect the Andean country.

At this moment, however, the Bolivian government is correcting the Añez regime's negligence through a national plan that includes the purchase of tests for mass testing and early detection of new COVID-19 cases.

Arce confirmed that his administration has secured the purchase of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine and products developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford. It will also get vaccines through the World Health Organization (WHO).

Regarding the country's economic situation, Arce mentioned that the gross domestic product (GDP) fell by 11 percent during the second quarter of 2020, a period in which the unemployment rate reached 9 percent.

"The situation in which they left our economy is critical and the people must know it since it will not be easy to overcome this crisis, but united we will achieve it as we did in the past", the Leftist leader said.

To reactivate the Bolivian economy, Arce announced that he will implement measures such as the payment of social assistance, the constitution of two trusts to grant credits to producers, and the creation of a tax on large fortunes.