Bolivia's Deputy Minister of Communications, Gabriela Alcón, denounced the irregular hiring of public media personnel. | Photo: @GabrielaAlconM

La Paz, November 4 (RHC)-- The Bolivian Deputy Minister of Communications, Gabriela Alcón, denounced this Wednesday that during the de facto government of Jeanine Áñez, the state media suffered substantial losses valued at 8,965,988 Bolivian pesos (1,280,855 dollars).

The official indicated at a press conference in La Paz that between November 2019 and October 2020, the losses are explained in the forced suspension of broadcasts of the state channel, damage to repeaters and radio equipment, discretionary handling of personnel and forced dismantling and disinstallation of equipment of the PROs:

In addition, the deputy minister clarified that the state-owned media hired personnel that did not comply with the requirements set forth in the Political Constitution of the State, among other regulations provided.

In this sense, the investigation presented by the Communication authority of the executive assured that the facilities of Bolivia TV Cochabamba were used as a deposit of shields of the Cochala Youth Resistance and others.

Public channels such as Bolivia TV lost 5.7 million bolivianos (US$ 826,326) and according to Alcón, in 2020, an expenditure of 10 million bolivianos (US$ 1,449,713) was made for the hiring of 242 people, mostly "discretional and irregular", without adjusting to the needs of the media.

Other media outlets affected were radios de los Pueblos Originarios, with 2.2 million Bolivianos (318,938) in losses, together with Patria Nueva with 962,500 Bolivianos (US$ 139,535), according to local media.

Finally, Alcón said that the former officials implicated in these malpractices have been notified to present the documents that would support the contracts made under his administration.  However, he stated that they have not done so, for which reason a public invitation was sent to present the supporting documents.