AGP Executive Report

Fuel Supply Shock: Bolivia has ordered temporary state intervention over YPFB, placing the company under “extraordinary, transparent and temporary” supervision for up to 180 days as fuel imports and distribution falter; the decree aims to restore efficiency, strengthen supply, and review the logistics chain, with Hydrocarbons Minister Marcelo Blanco admitting earlier measures “didn’t work” and pointing to YPFB import/distribution shortcomings, while the ministry also plans to gradually reduce YPFB’s role in fuel marketing to focus on extraction, exploration and refining. Agri Risk Control: Arizona’s diamondback moth threat is driving mandatory inspections for transplants entering the state, including in La Paz County, underscoring how cross-border plant movement can quickly disrupt crop production. Digital Finance Expansion: Colombia’s Plenti raised $3m in seed funding led by Tether to expand across Latin America, with Peru and Bolivia next, targeting users seeking dollar-linked options amid local currency volatility. Water & Farming Resilience: Global Water Challenge and Cargill expanded the Cargill Currents partnership into Bolivia and other countries, focusing on safe water access, sanitation, watershed monitoring, and more efficient farming water use. Lithium Deal Signals Regional Interest: Liontown moved toward Argentina’s lithium brines via a staged farm-in agreement for the Centenario project, adding a brine pathway alongside its hard-rock operations.

Bolivia Conservation Push: Municipal governments expanded Bolivia’s conservation mosaic, adding new protected areas across four municipalities and linking habitats into a continuous corridor that connects cloud forests, lowland rainforest, and river systems—aimed at protecting wildlife movement and biodiversity. Agribusiness Biosecurity: Arizona’s diamondback moth threat is driving mandatory inspections for brassica transplants, with officials warning that out-of-state plant material can spread infestations—an operational reminder for crop health controls in the region. Water & Farming Partnerships: Global Water Challenge and Cargill expanded the Cargill Currents partnership into Bolivia and other countries, focusing on safe water access, water system repairs, efficient farming water use, and watershed restoration. Capital Markets Watch: Shein’s Hong Kong IPO raised about $1.74B after pricing below the top of its range, but shares slipped on debut amid regulatory and trade-policy concerns—relevant for consumer retail supply chains and investor sentiment. Energy Geopolitics: The US secured a direct stake in Venezuelan oil fields previously influenced by Chinese and Russian firms, signaling shifting crude access that could ripple into regional energy supply planning.

Bolivia Conservation Gains: Bolivia’s “conservation mosaic” grew as municipal governments designated new protected areas, creating connected corridors from cloud forests to lowland rainforest and river systems—aimed at protecting wildlife and linking with Indigenous territories and national parks. Water & Farming Support: Global Water Challenge and Cargill expanded the Cargill Currents partnership into Bolivia, focusing on safer water and sanitation, repairing water systems, and helping farming use water more efficiently. Agriculture Biosecurity: Arizona tightened mandatory inspections for transplants after diamondback moth threats to brassica crops spread risk to Yuma, Maricopa and La Paz counties—requiring rapid inspections before departure and notification on arrival. Energy Geopolitics: The US finalized a direct stake in Venezuelan oil fields previously influenced by Chinese and Russian firms, with potential knock-on effects for global crude supply chains. Port & Trade Transparency: Panama’s maritime authority controversy over port concession information until 2036 highlights how governance decisions can reshape logistics and investment pipelines. Retail IPO Watch: Shein priced its Hong Kong IPO below the top of its range, raising about $1.74B, as investors weigh regulatory and trade-policy risks.

Water & Agriculture Partnership: Global Water Challenge and Cargill expanded their Cargill Currents program into Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica and Türkiye, aiming to improve safe water access, repair water systems, support smarter farming water use, and restore watersheds. Local Conservation Push: Bolivia’s conservation mosaic grew as municipal governments designated new protected areas, creating connected corridors linking cloud forests, lowland rainforest and river systems to better protect wildlife and biodiversity. Agri Biosecurity: Arizona’s diamondback moth outbreak is driving mandatory inspections for brassica transplants—an example of how fast-moving pests can force tighter controls on crop supply chains. Retail & Capital Markets: Shein’s Hong Kong IPO priced below the top of its range and shares slid on debut as investors weighed tariff pressure and regulatory risks. Regional Security & Politics: A Bolivian case involving Argentine political operative Fernando Cerimedo is tied to allegations of hiring gunmen, alongside broader corruption and illicit transport investigations. Energy & Industry: KEO Energy signed operating agreements with PDVSA to start work on Venezuela’s PetroUrdaneta oil and gas fields, targeting higher oil output and associated natural gas development.

Strategic Minerals Pact: Chile, Argentina, Bolivia and Peru signed a declaration to boost cooperation on strategic minerals, aiming to reshape supply chains as regional competition for lithium and other inputs intensifies. Energy & Water Governance: In Arizona, AG Kris Mayes called for a statewide pause on new data centers, arguing they are power- and water-intensive amid a near-30% cut to Colorado River allocations. Agrifood Trade Shifts: Trade restrictions are reshaping global beef flows: Rabobank reports China’s safeguard quota hit Australian exports hard, while imports from places including Bolivia rose, with attention now turning to September policy moves. Bolivia Political Risk: Argentine operative Fernando Cerimedo, linked to Bolivia’s Rodrigo Paz circle, remains in preventive detention in Santa Cruz over allegations tied to a high-profile murder case, while additional probes cover enrichment and irregular flights. Power Reliability: After extended outages, Bolivia’s CFE pledged advance notice to users via its mobile app and said failures tied to substation equipment and vegetation will be addressed. Oil Investment Watch: KEO Energy signed operating agreements with PDVSA to start work on Venezuela’s PetroUrdaneta fields, targeting oil output and associated gas development.

Diesel Protests in Bolivia: Bolivia’s President Rodrigo Paz faces escalating unrest after a decree raised diesel for large commercial users from $0.85 to $1.56 per liter, triggering road blockades in Santa Cruz-Beni and ultimatums from producers in Yapacani; the government says the IMF-linked move is required to unlock a $1.9 billion credit line, while sectors like rice, soybean and sugarcane call it discriminatory. Strategic Minerals Pact: Chile, Argentina, Bolivia and Peru signed a declaration to coordinate on copper and lithium supply chains, boost technical cooperation, and exchange geological data as demand tied to energy transition and AI could surge sharply. Energy Infrastructure Pressure: Bolivia’s fuel and power stress echoes broader regional grid concerns, while the week also highlighted how outages and infrastructure failures can quickly hit businesses and logistics. Global Industry Signals: KEO Energy signed PDVSA operating agreements to start Venezuela’s PetroUrdaneta oil and gas operations, underscoring continued investment momentum in hydrocarbons across the region.

Diesel Shock in Bolivia: Violent protests and road blockades erupted after Bolivia raised diesel prices for large commercial users from $0.85 to $1.56 per liter, a move tied to an IMF-linked $1.9 billion credit. Producers in Santa Cruz and Yapacani joined rice, soybean and sugarcane sectors plus transport unions in demanding repeal, while security forces used tear gas under a June state of emergency. Strategic Minerals Pact: Chile, Argentina, Bolivia and Peru signed a declaration to deepen cooperation on copper and lithium, setting up working groups for geological data, oversight coordination and joint research, aiming to strengthen regional supply chains for the energy transition. Power Reliability Push: Mexico’s CFE pledged advance outage alerts via its mobile app after extended blackouts hit La Paz and Baja California Sur, following circuit-breaker and substation failures and vegetation-related disruptions. Agrifood Insight: A new review highlights that adults may not need a fixed “eight hours” of sleep, citing studies including Bolivia where natural sleep averaged about 6.4 hours.

Fuel Protests in Bolivia: Bolivia’s President Rodrigo Paz faces mounting pressure after a diesel price hike for large commercial users, mining and exporters—raised from $0.85 to $1.56 per liter—triggered road blockades in Santa Cruz and Beni, with tear gas used to clear highways and producers issuing a 48-hour ultimatum to repeal the decree tied to an IMF-linked $1.9 billion credit. Strategic Minerals Pact: Chile, Argentina, Bolivia and Peru signed a joint declaration to deepen cooperation on copper and lithium, setting up working groups for geological data, oversight criteria, and joint research, as demand from the energy transition and AI could surge sharply. Power Reliability Push (La Paz): Mexico’s CFE pledged that extended blackouts are over and will notify users via its mobile app before planned or emergency outages, after failures at substations and vegetation interference caused multi-hour interruptions that hurt local businesses. Agrifood Disruption Risk: The diesel shock is hitting key sectors—rice, soybean and sugarcane—at the same time transport unions report chronic fuel shortages, raising the odds of supply and production disruptions.

Fuel Protests in Bolivia: Bolivia’s president faces mounting pressure as diesel prices for large commercial users jump from $0.85 to $1.56 per liter, triggering road blockades in Santa Cruz-Beni and wider unrest tied to an IMF-linked $1.9 billion credit push. Mining & Supply Chains: Chile, Argentina, Bolivia and Peru signed a joint declaration to deepen cooperation on strategic minerals like copper and lithium, aiming for stronger supply chains, shared geological work, and public-private research and innovation. Energy Reliability in La Paz: CFE says extended blackouts are over after outages up to 15 hours; it promises advance notifications via its mobile app and points to technical failures plus vegetation interference as key drivers. Agribusiness & Food Systems: Producers in Bolivia’s agricultural sectors are organizing against the diesel hike, while regional coverage also highlights food preservation know-how like homemade pickling—useful for small processors and household producers.

Fuel Protests in Bolivia: President Rodrigo Paz faces escalating pressure as violent road blockades hit the agricultural heartland after a diesel price hike for large commercial users, mining and exporters—raised from $0.85 to $1.56 per liter under an IMF-linked $1.9 billion credit condition—sparking resistance from rice, soybean and sugarcane producers plus transport unions in Santa Cruz and Beni. Strategic Minerals Pact: Chile, Argentina, Bolivia and Peru signed a declaration to deepen cooperation on copper and lithium, setting up working groups for geological data, oversight criteria, and joint research/innovation with multilateral support. Food Industry How-To: Homemade pickling is booming, with guidance on brined/fermented, fresh-pack/quick-process, and refrigerator pickles using locally sourced produce. Energy Infrastructure Watch: TBG seeks Brazil’s approval for a $286m expansion to remove bottlenecks on the Bolivia–Brazil Gas Pipeline, aiming to boost LNG distribution capacity into Santa Catarina by 2029. Agribusiness Disruption: Bolivia’s diesel-driven producer blockades and protests continue to disrupt key routes, underscoring how fuel costs are reshaping production and logistics.

Fuel & transport unrest: Bolivia’s diesel price hike for large users (from $0.85 to $1.56) has triggered violent clashes and highway blockades, with agricultural producers and transport unions demanding repeal after the government tied the move to an IMF-backed $1.9bn credit. Mining & supply chains: Chile, Argentina, Bolivia and Peru signed a declaration to coordinate on strategic minerals like copper and lithium, setting up working groups on geology, oversight and skills, and seeking multilateral support for joint research and innovation. Energy infrastructure: TBG is seeking approval for a $286m expansion on the Bolivia–Brazil Gas Pipeline to remove bottlenecks and boost bidirectional LNG-linked gas flows into Santa Catarina by 2029. Industry & jobs: IDB Invest will finance up to $700m for Posco’s Sal de Oro lithium expansion in Argentina, aimed at processing lithium into battery materials and creating about 620 jobs—part of the wider Lithium Triangle push. Agrifood & preservation: A surge in homemade pickling highlights brined/fermented, fresh-pack and refrigerator methods using locally sourced produce. Travel & risk: The U.S. keeps Bolivia at Level 2 and flags Chapare Province as higher risk due to crime tied to narcotrafficking, alongside health concerns like chikungunya outbreaks.

Strategic Minerals Pact: Chile, Argentina, Bolivia and Peru signed a joint declaration to deepen cooperation on strategic minerals, aiming to attract technical and financial backing and launch joint public-private calls for research and investment to position the region as a reliable supplier for the energy transition. Lithium Investment: IDB Invest will finance up to $700m for Posco’s Sal de Oro lithium expansion in Argentina, targeting about 48,000 tons of lithium a year and boosting processing capacity for battery materials. Energy Infrastructure (Gas): TBG requested Brazil’s regulator ANP approval for a $286m expansion on the Bolivia–Brazil Gas Pipeline to remove a southern bottleneck and raise LNG distribution capacity into Santa Catarina. Food & Competition Watch: BRICS launched an inquiry into potential monopolies in global grain trade, focusing on major grain traders as the bloc seeks fairer market power in a sector tied to food security. Climate Shock (Bolivia): Bolivia’s civil defense reported 121,731 families affected by snowstorms across six departments, with major crop damage and camelid losses, as emergency aid and municipal declarations ramp up. Economy Update: President Rodrigo Paz named economist Christian Morales as new economy minister to continue talks with the IMF and multilateral lenders for a $7–$10bn rescue package.

Climate Shock in Bolivia: Bolivia’s civil defense says snowstorms have now hit 121,731 families across six departments, damaging 93,934 hectares of crops and killing 897 head of camelid livestock, with municipalities moving to declare emergencies to speed up humanitarian aid. Fuel-Price Pressure on Agribusiness: Rice producers in Santa Cruz and Beni blocked the Santa Cruz–Beni highway in protest of a diesel price jump tied to Supreme Decree 5676, warning higher costs could push up the basic food basket. Economic Cabinet Update: President Rodrigo Paz named economist Christian Morales as Bolivia’s new economy minister after Congress ousted Jose Gabriel Espinoza, with Morales tasked to prioritize talks for a $7–$10 billion rescue package with the IMF and regional lenders. Trade Deal for Industry: El Salvador entered a Partial Scope Agreement with Bolivia, granting preferential entry for 250+ products, including food, textiles, paper, and veterinary pharmaceuticals, with tariff cuts aimed at boosting bilateral logistics and competitiveness. Energy Infrastructure (Regional Link): TBG requested Brazil’s ANP approval for a $286 million expansion to remove a bottleneck on the Bolivia–Brazil Gas Pipeline, targeting higher LNG distribution capacity by 2029. Cultural Industry Boost: Potosí’s Casa Nacional de Moneda will start a major restoration next month, focusing first on critical roof leaks and stonework.

Diesel Price Protests: Bolivia’s government deployed police and military in Yapacaní, Santa Cruz, to prevent road blockades after a decree raised diesel to 18 bolivianos per liter for large consumers; a deputy interior minister later said the measure should be annulled, while business groups, transporters, cooperative miners and agricultural producers plan mobilizations once the state of exception ends. Snowstorm Humanitarian Impact: Bolivia’s civil defense reports 121,731 families affected by snowstorms across six departments, with 93,934 hectares of crops damaged, 1,289 hectares lost, and 897 camelid deaths, prompting municipalities to formalize emergencies for aid delivery. Economy Shake-Up: President Rodrigo Paz named economist Christian Morales as new economy minister after Congress ousted Jose Gabriel Espinoza amid bailout talks, with Morales tasked to prioritize negotiations for $7–$10 billion with the IMF and multilateral lenders. Trade Deal for Industry: El Salvador entered a Partial Scope Agreement with Bolivia, granting preferential entry for 250+ products, including food, textiles, veterinary pharmaceuticals and paper, with tariff cuts up to 0% and streamlined trade rules to reduce non-tariff barriers. Potosí Heritage Restoration: Bolivia’s Casa Nacional de Moneda in Potosí will start a major restoration next month, targeting leaking roofs and stonework after years of maintenance gaps.

Diesel Price Protest Escalates: Bolivia’s government deployed police and military in Yapacaní, Santa Cruz, to prevent road blockades after a decree raised diesel for large consumers to 18 bolivianos per liter; officials say the decree should be repealed, but business groups and producers are still coordinating mobilizations across Santa Cruz, Cochabamba, La Paz, Oruro and El Alto. Snowstorm Disaster Update: Bolivia’s civil defense reports 121,731 families affected by snowstorms in six departments, with major crop damage (93,934 hectares) and losses in camelid herds (897 head). Economy Minister Change: President Rodrigo Paz appointed economist Christian Morales as economy and public finance minister after Congress censured and removed Jose Gabriel Espinoza, with Morales tasked to push multilateral talks for $7–$10 billion and advance an investment bill. Trade Deal Boost: El Salvador and Bolivia’s Partial Scope Agreement (effective July 30, 2026) grants preferential entry for 250+ Salvadoran products, cutting tariffs for sectors including food, textiles and paper while easing logistics rules. Cultural-Industrial Heritage: Potosí’s Casa Nacional de Moneda will start a major restoration next month, targeting leaking roofs and stonework to protect a key colonial-era industrial landmark.

Climate Emergency: Bolivia’s civil defense reports 121,731 families affected by severe snowfall across Oruro, La Paz, Cochabamba, Chuquisaca, Tarija and Potosí, with 96,462 “affected” and 25,269 “victims,” plus major farm damage (93,934 hectares) and losses of 897 camelid head. Agri-Industry & Transport: Rice producers in Santa Cruz and Beni launched an indefinite blockade of the Santa Cruz–Beni highway, blaming Supreme Decree 5676 and a diesel hike for large consumers (from 9.80 to 18 Bs/liter), warning it will raise costs and the basic food basket. Energy Policy & Social Tension: The government deployed police and military in Yapacaní to prevent road blockades tied to the diesel decree; the deputy interior minister said the measure should be repealed, while talks with agricultural leaders continued. Indigenous Water Systems: A new push to revive Indigenous “paúros” in Bolivia’s Amazon highlights community-led, climate-resilient water management as drought pressures intensify. Mining & Investment: Reuters reports President Rodrigo Paz named Christian Morales as economy and public finance minister after lawmakers censured and removed the prior minister, aiming to stabilize the economy, secure foreign financing, and advance an investment bill.