Bolivia’s government charges Brazil’s Nella for Amaszonas debt

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – After Latin American aviation was surprised last month by the sale of Amaszonas to Nella Airlines for an amount close to US$50 million, the Bolivian government rushed to complain to the new owners about a multi-million dollar debt the airline owes to several government agencies.

Last Friday (9), Bolivia’s Minister of Public Works, Services and Housing Édgar Montaño stated that Amaszonas owes 129 million Bolivian pesos, equivalent to some US$18 million.

Of this total, Bs 11.9 million correspond to the Telecommunications and Transport Regulation and Inspection Authority, Bs 8.2 million to Bolivian Airport Services, Bs 2.8 million to the Airports and Auxiliary Services Administration for Air Navigation (AASANA) and Bs 106 million to the Bolivian Treasury.

The Minister said that the new owners had been notified of the debts in early August and that the alert was given in advance to prevent the company from “victimizing itself and saying that the government is to blame for its bankruptcy.”

He further said that he would prefer that the Brazilian entrepreneur first pay its debts before making new investments in Bolivia.