Bolivian Restaurant Owner Faces Ruin: Staff Cut by 75% Amid Soaring Prices and Blockades

COCHABAMBA, Bolivia – Veymar Daza, the proprietor of the popular "Pampeño" chicken restaurant in Cochabamba, has voiced grave concerns over the escalating economic crisis gripping Bolivia's gastronomic sector. In a recent interview, Daza revealed the devastating impact on his business, which has seen its workforce shrink from an initial 120 employees to a mere 28. "I started with more than 120 staff, and now I'm down to 28," Daza stated, highlighting the dramatic decline. He attributes this severe contraction to persistent blockades across the country, which have disrupted supply chains and led to exorbitant price increases for essential ingredients. Daza noted that the price of rice has tripled, and chicken, once affordable, now costs up to 33 Bolivianos per kilo, up from 11-15 Bolivianos. "I need to offer good quality, but prices have soared three times over," he explained. "People are not buying as much because it's more expensive. Sales have dropped, and in less than two weeks, I had to reduce more than 40 staff." Daza expressed his frustration with the political climate, emphasizing that he, like many citizens, simply wants to work and earn a living without state assistance. "Many of us live off our jobs, our ventures. We want to get ahead, we want to make money because we don't live off the state. The state doesn't pay me a single peso; in fact, I pay taxes," he asserted. The restaurant owner is now contemplating a temporary closure of his Cochabamba branch, unable to sustain operations with the current cost structure and reduced sales. He appealed to national authorities to intervene and regularize the prices of basic goods, particularly chicken and fuel, which remain scarce due to blockades. "I ask the authorities not to harm us in this way. Where is the free transit? I tried to bring chicken and oil from Santa Cruz to Cochabamba, but everything is blocked for more than two weeks," Daza concluded, underscoring the urgent need for government action to alleviate the crisis.

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