In the US we have riots because a black person was shot by the police, anywhere else (France, Egypt, ...) they have riots because government actions raise the price of gas.
I'm not sure what is happening in Bolivia right now. But here in Argentina the problem is that one government decides to not increase the price of gasoline/electricity/public-transport/whatever . Everyone is happy and they win the reelections and after a few years of no increase, some items have like a 80% subsidy and you pay only a 20%.
Obviously, the money has to came from somewhere, so you pay for it indirectly. The president is not paying them from their own pocket, the business are not paying them from their profit. Sometime it's a subtle and hidden increase in the price of other products, sometimes it's a hidden lack of inversion in infrastructure, sometimes it's the depletion of the reserves in the central bank, sometimes it's all of that together.
So when one day the hidden ways to to get the money are over, the government can not longer pay the 80% subsidy and the prices increase overnight x5 and everyone is extremely unhappy.
It's a cycle that happens like every 20-30 years. You get use to it. Again, I'm not sure what is happening in Bolivia right now.
---
In ~2015, the electricity bill said explicitly something like this: (I don't remember the numbers, but the ratios are close. Translated to US$, with a approximate rate, exchange rates is another can of worms.)
> You live in Buenos Aires, so the bill is US$50.
> If you live in Cordoba(AR), for the same electricity you'd have to pay US$100
> If you live in Sao Paulo, for the same electricity you'd have to pay US$200
I never understood by the people from Cordoba were not super angry to pay more than in Buenos Aires. Perhaps they were, in particular the then-national-goverment had a very bad election in Cordoba, but perhaps for other reasons.
Now the price here and in Cordoba are almost even, but people is angry for the increase. There is a announcement about increasing the prices to the international level next year, because there is no money in the central bank, but it must be done very carefully to avoid riots.
2 comments
[ 2.8 ms ] story [ 18.1 ms ] threadObviously, the money has to came from somewhere, so you pay for it indirectly. The president is not paying them from their own pocket, the business are not paying them from their profit. Sometime it's a subtle and hidden increase in the price of other products, sometimes it's a hidden lack of inversion in infrastructure, sometimes it's the depletion of the reserves in the central bank, sometimes it's all of that together.
So when one day the hidden ways to to get the money are over, the government can not longer pay the 80% subsidy and the prices increase overnight x5 and everyone is extremely unhappy.
It's a cycle that happens like every 20-30 years. You get use to it. Again, I'm not sure what is happening in Bolivia right now.
---
In ~2015, the electricity bill said explicitly something like this: (I don't remember the numbers, but the ratios are close. Translated to US$, with a approximate rate, exchange rates is another can of worms.)
> You live in Buenos Aires, so the bill is US$50.
> If you live in Cordoba(AR), for the same electricity you'd have to pay US$100
> If you live in Sao Paulo, for the same electricity you'd have to pay US$200
I never understood by the people from Cordoba were not super angry to pay more than in Buenos Aires. Perhaps they were, in particular the then-national-goverment had a very bad election in Cordoba, but perhaps for other reasons.
Now the price here and in Cordoba are almost even, but people is angry for the increase. There is a announcement about increasing the prices to the international level next year, because there is no money in the central bank, but it must be done very carefully to avoid riots.