Bolivia fires economy minister after Congress vote

Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz fired Economy Minister Jose Gabriel Espinoza on Friday after legislators voted to remove him for failing to appear before Congress to answer questions about his handling of a severe economic crisis.

Paz named Environment Minister Oscar Mario Justiniano Pinto to replace Espinoza on an interim basis.

Congress had voted on Tuesday to remove Espinoza. His dismissal comes as Bolivia faces what AFP described as its worst economic turbulence in four decades, putting pressure on Paz nine months into his administration.

Paz's decision to scrap decades-old fuel subsidies drained by pressure on the Treasury's international dollar reserves caused prices to double and helped trigger widespread anger. Demonstrations over worsening living conditions escalated into roadblocks that cut off major cities and calls for the president's resignation.

Paz declared a state of emergency in June to quell the unrest.