Bolivia: A shortage of diesel is affecting cement sales in Sucre. Local producer Fábrica Nacional de Cemento SA (FANCESA) said that it is unable to ship 38% of its product across the country, according to Correo del Sur.
General manager of FANCESA Jorge Camargo told local press “This problem is making it difficult for us to meet our customers’ needs. Transportation companies can’t get diesel to transport our products to the different points of sale.”
Camargo said that the company has a schedule of shipping between 2700-3000t/day, or around 60,000 bags per day of cement. He said that the company has purchased diesel from private suppliers in Santa Cruz to avoid the risk of a sudden kiln shutdown. The company has only just recovered from 53 days of road blockades in June 2026, when it had to shut down its kilns. Two kilns are currently operational.
FANCESA reportedly has an agreement with state-owned oil company Yacimientos Petrolíferos Fiscales Bolivianos to guarantee the sale of between 100,000-120,000 litres of diesel per month, but it is now buying between 30,000-33,000 litres per month from the private importer due to the shortage, which is more expensive. A meeting will be requested with the government to ask for ‘real solutions’ to the problem.
