Economic crisis: the government announced perks for labor organizations

The country is going through an economic crisis and a shortage of resources to address urgent issues. Despite this, Luis Arce's regime has allocated more than 63 million bolivianos for the construction and refurbishment of union headquarters. This decision has caused criticism from various political and social sectors, who consider it a strategy to secure the support of organizations aligned with the Movement for Socialism (MAS).

The review of contracts published in the State Contracting System (Sicoes) shows the intentions of the MAS. The main beneficiaries of these resources are organizations that are part of the Unity Pact, a conglomerate of sectors that have traditionally supported the regime.

The Special Projects Unit (UPRE), under the Ministry of the Presidency, was responsible for channeling the funds for these constructions. This reinforces suspicions about the political intent of the projects.

On December 31, a contract was signed for the construction of a training center for the General Confederation of Bolivian Factory Workers. This project costs more than 3 million bolivianos. Other projects are added to this, such as the construction of headquarters for the Departmental Workers' Central of La Paz and the Germán Busch Mixed Transport Union, among other organizations.

For some legislators it is striking that the government allocates these amounts at a time when the country faces urgent problems. The recently announced investment for the construction of neighborhood clinics in El Alto barely reaches 29 million bolivianos, less than half of what is allocated to union headquarters.

The opposition has denounced that this is a strategy to buy the loyalty of leaders and avoid fractures within social organizations. Deputy Enrique Urquidi, from Comunidad Ciudadana, stated that this practice is not new and that Evo Morales also used it to secure the support of key sectors. According to Urquidi, the delivery of headquarters, as well as other benefits, has turned these groups into an extension of the ruling party.

Criticism has also emerged from the Evo Morales faction. Deputy Héctor Arce blatantly admitted that these constructions began during Morales's administration, but at that time they fulfilled a social function. According to the parliamentarian, now they only serve to divide organizations and maintain political control. This stance highlights that the use of public resources for political purposes is not a new practice, but a strategy that has been maintained and evolved over time.

What is the urgency of the MAS?

Senator Cecilia Requena lamented that the government argues a lack of resources to address environmental and social problems. But it allocates millions to sectors linked to activities harmful to the country. The parliamentarian denounced that part of these organizations have been accused of contributing to environmental depredation and land grabbing.

Beyond the construction of headquarters, irregularities have also been detected in the awarding of contracts. A particular case is that of the Single Trade Union Confederation of Peasant Workers of Bolivia (CSUTCB).

In less than two years, it received two different awards for the construction of its headquarters in La Paz. The amount of each exceeds 9 million bolivianos. To date, it has not been explained why the project was awarded again to another company.

Critics argue that the MAS has turned social organizations into bureaucratic structures at the service of power, stripping them of their function of representing the grassroots. The delivery of perks and benefits has denatured these sectors, transforming them into a mechanism of political control.

The impact of these practices goes beyond the economic. The co-optation of leaders and the creation of parallel organizations weaken citizen participation and consolidate a power model based on the dependence on state favors. This dynamic only seeks to perpetuate a system in which access to public resources is conditioned on political loyalty.

The allocation of resources for union headquarters in a context of economic crisis and urgent needs calls into question the government's true priorities. These actions seem to respond to a political survival strategy that seeks to consolidate the MAS's control over its bases, to the detriment of the public interest and the country's development.