Roundup: Bolivia road blockades, Chile hospital, Argentina public works

Cargo drivers in Bolivia have voted to start an indefinite roads blockade on June 17, which will include border crossings, saying the government has failed to address their demands regarding access to US dollars and fuel.

The government is in talks with transport sector representatives, according to public works minister Édgar Montaño. But Marcelo Cruz, president of Bolivia’s heavy transport association (Asociatrin), told BNamericas that these meetings will not involve the associations that have called for the protests. 

“These are people that are being used to slander the freight transport protests. These are representatives from the bus and taxi sectors that have nothing to do with heavy transport,” he said. 

Chile hospital

Works on a hospital worth US$250 million in La Serena, Coquimbo region, will kick off in September after the public works ministry (MOP) reached an agreement with concessionaire Acciona.

A dispute between the parties, which started due to discrepancies concerning the design of the facility, ended after extensive negotiations, the ministry said in a press release.

The project, whose construction is expected to take four years, entails a 125,284m2 complex with capacity for 668 beds. It will benefit 723,000 residents in La Serena, as well as the surrounding La Higuera, Vicuña and Paihuano municipalities.  

Argentina public works

The federal government will transfer several public work projects to the provincial government of Catamarca so that the later can resume them.

The province will take over housing, school, road, energy and water projects that were halted by President Javier Milei’s austerity policies, the Catamarca government said in a press release.

The agreement also involves an investment of 25 billion pesos (US$27.7 million) to reactivate road, bridge and sewer projects, as well as 6.5bn pesos for housing projects.