The Central Bank of Bolivia published a statement rejecting electoral comments that question the legal and technical basis for its operations involving international reserves, arguing that it conducts financial operations and capital-market investments in line with the Constitution and Laws No. 1670 and No. 1503 to strengthen reserves and support economy-wide liquidity. Net International Reserves (RIN) were reported at USD 2.881 billion so far this year, an increase of USD 905 million over eight months, including gains linked to the purchase, refining and investment of gold to international “good delivery” standards while maintaining state ownership. The central bank criticised remarks by presidential candidate Jorge Quiroga and warned that discontinuing these operations could impair the state’s ability to meet domestic and external obligations, increasing the risk of a default in capital markets and with international organisations.