The Paz administration submitted a 103-article investment law draft to the Plurinational Legislative Assembly on August 11, 2026. The proposal incorporates international arbitration, a mechanism not currently recognized in Bolivian law and demanded by foreign investors. Political opposition figures, including former president Jorge “Tuto” Quiroga’s Libre alliance, argue that international arbitration requires constitutional reform, a process without defined timeline. The investment bill remains under legislative review, and no US companies, project volumes or disbursement schedules have been announced.
Bolivia’s Ministry of Mining and Metallurgy previously held February discussions with US Embassy representatives on investment opportunities. In March, after presenting mining prospects at the PDAC convention in Canada, the ministry organized meetings with at least 20 Canadian and US firms that expressed interest in projects managed by the state mining corporation Comibol. Resources under consideration included silver, zinc, antimony, tungsten and copper. Bolivia is also preparing a new Mining Code through technical working groups involving state, private and cooperative mining representatives, a process separate from the general investment law but intended to align with it.
Paz defended his extended US trip against domestic criticism, stating that Bolivia must engage globally to attract capital. He announced that $10 billion would arrive for infrastructure, projects and economic development, with a portion allocated to social support programs offsetting the impact of recent subsidy eliminations, including diesel fuel. Paz cited meetings with the World Bank, Inter-American Development Bank and CAF development bank as sources of the financing pledges, though individual commitments have not been independently confirmed. The president is scheduled to address the UN General Assembly on September 24.
This article was curated and published as part of our South American energy market coverage.
