Bolivia’s President Rodrigo Paz fires economy minister amid unrest

Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz has removed Economic Minister Jose Gabriel Espinoza from his post after the minister was censured by the country’s Congress.

The cabinet shake-up is likely to be perceived as a concession by Paz, who has faced public anger about the country’s ongoing cost-of-living crisis .

The announcement came in a decree published on Friday in the government’s official gazette.

It names Oscar Mario Justiniano Pinto as interim economy minister and explains he will serve in the role until a permanent candidate is appointed. The decree does not, however, offer a prospective timeline for the eventual replacement.

The decision to fire Espinoza, however, marks a reversal for the Paz government.

On Tuesday, the Bolivian Congress voted to censure Espinoza, after he failed to appear before the legislature to answer questions about the economy. Under the country’s constitution, a censure tees up a subsequent dismissal.

The right-wing Paz administration initially said it would fight that decision as a tribunal reviewed the dispute. But Friday’s decree suggests the president changed course.

Bolivia has been roiled by economic and political turmoil for years. Paz, a senator at the time, was elected last October after pledging to bring stability back to the South American nation.