Sunday, November 04, 2007


EMIGRANT MONEY FLOWS BACK TO BOLIVIA!

A $1000 million dollars?

A local Bolivian newspaper, El Deber 4 November 2007, has some interesting statistics on emigration.

2.5 million Bolivians have left the country and reside overseas. Last year they sent $1,000 million dollars to loved ones, business interests and friends IN Bolivia. That's an amazing statistic!! $1000 million dollars sounds bloated. I'm not an expert on these matters so I'm letting the figure stand until the paper makes a correction.

An article, NY Times 19 October 2006, claimed that Latin American immigrants in the US sent 45 billion dollars back home.

These statistics sorta explain why politicians are'nt exactly discouraging their people from leaving and finding jobs elsewhere.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

lotta money man

Baboo Samuel said...

1 trillion dollars!
Please ask the Presidente to use half that money to plan and build new towns and a good airport near Potosi, to export all salt and bring in more trillions.

Yes, you guys are land-locked and alternatively the Presidente should talk to the Chilean gov. and make a direct tunnelled highway/railway from Salar de Uyuni to Iquique port in Chile via the Andes.

Make it a Win-win effort, help the Chileans understand that their port is profittable this way (also a partial effort in processing peace)

Please change the world's view of Bolivia as the "donkey on the gold-mine". Forget about the Pacific War, those sentiments won't help fathers who are looking for opportunities to feed their children.

Bolivian Beat said...

Dear Baboo

thanks for your insights. Is it really a trillion dollars or is it a billion?

My first pastor/vicar was a man by the name Samuel Baboo. Any relation?

Baboo Samuel said...

Aiyo, Rev. / Uncle / Mama Rapheal

Must I tell you who I am?
Your god-daughter's husband, Sam.

Anyway on Canon Samuel Baboo has no connections with me. I know that he was once the Vicar of St. George's Penang. It so happen that my parents named me after both their dads. Baboo - paternal, Samuel, maternal.

Whenever I see the native kids from the South American mountain side on the TV tube, I keep thinking to myself: "Where is all the fast cash going?"

Bolivian Beat said...

aiyoh..great to hear from my favorite nephew in law