Bolivia’s senate has approved two loans totaling USD 545 mln from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the Development Bank of Latin America (CAF). The IDB loan of USD 500 mln will support groups affected by the pandemic, while the CAF loan of USD 45 mln is allocated for public infrastructure projects. Meanwhile, Bolivian president Luis Arce has proposed that the Mercosur bloc reduce dependence on the US dollar and seek strategic alliances with Asian countries such as China.