The Movimiento al Socialismo (MAS) government led by President Evo Morales is once again on the defensive over public corruption. The head of Bolivia’s state oil company, Yacimientos Petrolíferos Fiscales Bolivianos (YPFB), Guillermo Achá, has been sacked over allegations relating to the Drillmec scandal which broke in March. The case involves irregularities worth some US$148m in relation to a contract inked by YPFB and Italy’s Drillmec for the purchase of three drilling machines. Against this backdrop, the temporary departure of Economy Minister Luis Arce, for ‘health reasons’, could not have come at a worse time for Morales. End of preview - This article contains approximately 995 words.
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