Bishops of Bolivia questioned the results of the population census carried out in March throughout the country, whose data were presented last Friday.
According to the first census figures published by the National Institute of Statistics (INE)the total population of the country is 11,312,620 million inhabitants, one million less than the figure that the organization had projected.
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The report caused discontent, mainly in the city of El Alto and the department of Santa Cruz, where its governor, Fernando Camachostated that there was a “gross manipulation” of the data to harm his jurisdiction.
The Auxiliary Bishop of Santa Cruz, Mons. Estanislao Dowlaszewicz, who in his sunday homily considered that the data presented reflects a culture of “doing things halfway.”
The census, the prelate pointed out, was carried out on March 23 of this year 2024, “and a few days ago we heard the data, the results. If the results do not have complete and real data, they create suspicions and doubts. It does no good to anyone, especially the poorest, the most needy, the immigrants who come to Santa Cruz.”
Among the alleged irregularities pointed out, he highlighted many young people who, despite waiting days and nights to be registered, were unable to do so. “Many of our young people were left without being able to fulfill their civic duty, without being able to register.”
Also Mons. Aurelio Pesoa, president of the Bolivian Episcopal Conference and Apostolic Vicar of El Beni, mentioned the issue in his homily: “We have been told these days the results of a census that many of us surely expected after 12 years, is it the most correct? Can it be trusted? Can you be sure that what is said is the truth?”
“I believe that each of us has the answer without the need to maliciously judge,” he considered.
The census is a key reference for political issues, such as the representation of each locality in the Legislative Branch, as well as the allocation of economic resources that each district receives and which, according to projections, should be greater for Santa Cruz. It is estimated that the final results of the census will be announced in April 2025.
Juliet Villar
I am a journalist, with a degree in communication from the National University of La Matanza in Argentina. I have work experience in non-governmental organizations. Since 2016 I have been dedicated to Catholic journalism, first at the Argentine Catholic Information Agency (AICA) and, since 2022, as ACI Prensa correspondent for Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and Bolivia.