Bolivia announces cable car, hospital, school investments

Bolivia's government plans to increase investment in transport, educational and sports infrastructure in the capital, President Evo Morales said in his first week back at work following a knee operation a month ago.

Investment projects include US$110mn earmarked for two lines and a museum for La Paz' cable car system, part of Morales' bid to upgrade the landlocked Andean country's infrastructure.

The new lines totaling 6km will add to Bolivian state firm Mi Teleférico's US$450mn second stage, which involves five new lines, 23 stations and 164 towers running across 20km linking La Paz with sister city El Alto, to be completed by 2020, according to the company.

The government also plans to build a US$70mn hospital on a 3ha terrain in La Paz, Morales said in a broadcast press conference at the presidential palace.

Other infrastructure projects in the highland capital city of 2.3mn inhabitants include 10 schools, a sports stadium and electrical works at a soccer stadium totaling 79mn bolivianos (US$11mn) in investment, Morales said.

The long-serving president allocated US$6.395bn to public spending in 2016, compared with US$6.178bn last year. The country, which allocated US$2.5bn to infrastructure projects in 2015, will earmark 30% of this year's budget to infrastructure.

Morales, who lost a referendum to extend his mandate in February after being sworn in for a third consecutive term last year, has seized pension funds, oil fields, mines, electricity, water and telecommunications companies since first taking office in 2006 in a bid to strengthen state control over the economy.