Dorgathen resigns as YPFB chief as Bolivia’s fuel crisis deepens
Saturday, November 8th 2025 – 10:00 UTC
Dorgathen’s departure is linked to a scandal involving him and Marcelo Arce, the son of incumbent President Luis Arce
Armin Dorgathen Tapia has submitted his irrevocable resignation as Executive President of Yacimientos Petrolíferos Fiscales Bolivianos (YPFB), the state-owned oil company, effective Friday. His departure comes amidst growing controversy surrounding the Botrading case and just hours before the inauguration of President-elect Rodrigo Paz.
The resignation letter, addressed to the Minister of Hydrocarbons and Energy, Alejandro Gallardo, thanked the government for the support received, stating that his tenure was an experience of great professional and personal value.
Lawmakers promptly warned prosecutors to prevent Dorgathen from leaving the country. Congressman Carlos Alarcón (Libre alliance), who participated in the parliamentary investigation of the case, issued a strong warning to the judiciary: If Dorgathen, the president of YPFB who has just resigned from his position, flees from Bolivian justice, the prosecutors in La Paz in charge of the Botrading case and the departmental prosecutor will be responsible for not having ordered the immigration alert or the restraining order. The prosecutor’s office has already summoned the former executive to testify in the case.
Dorgathen’s resignation is linked to the ongoing investigation into the Botrading company. This case alleges that a company was illicitly set up using YPFB’s own resources and was involved in selling fuel at overpriced rates, with the surcharges allegedly diverted to private accounts. The scandal has drawn scrutiny to Dorgathen, as well as to Marcelo Arce, the son of incumbent President Luis Arce, who previously held an official position at the state oil company.
The official’s departure follows intense political pressure, including a public demand from President-elect Paz earlier on Friday for YPFB to get its act together to guarantee fuel logistics. Paz went so far as to threaten to prosecute YPFB executives for treason if ongoing fuel shortages were not resolved by the weekend.
Dorgathen faces legal proceedings not only for the Botrading case but also for alleged fuel smuggling, underscoring the management and supply crisis.
