Bolivia CBDC Tracker

Bolivia is currently in the research phase of its central bank digital currency (CBDC) development. Banco Central de Bolivia interim chair Roger Edwin Rojas Ulo announced in 2025 that the central bank was working to understand how a CBDC (a “virtual boliviano”) might be used in Bolivia.

Current human rights and civil liberties concerns in Bolivia include oppression and corruption. For example, Freedom House reported that “Members of the press face harassment, violent attacks, and censorship carried out by the state and progovernment forces.” Unfortunately, a CBDC could be used as another tool in this effort.

### CBDC History and Development

In April 2025, the Banco Central de Bolivia hosted a conference titled “Advances and Challenges of the Digital Economy.” The first day of the conference focused on CBDCs and financial inclusion. During the conference, Banco Central de Bolivia interim chair Roger Edwin Rojas Ulo announced that the central bank was “exploring and analyzing, with technical rigor and a long-term vision, the technical, legal, and operational feasibility of using a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) issued by the BCB.” He later added that the purpose of the CBDC “is to open a path to responsible, inclusive, and sustainable innovation that will strengthen our payment system and extend the benefits of digital currency to the entire population.”

### Human Rights and Civil Liberties Concerns

Bolivia Earned a 65 out of 100 in Freedom House’s 2025 Freedom in the World report. As Freedom House noted in the report, oppression and corruption are issues in Bolivia. The issuance or adoption of a CBDC in Bolivia could worsen these issues.

Freedom House reported that “Members of the press face harassment, violent attacks, and censorship carried out by the state and progovernment forces.” Unfortunately, a CBDC could be used as another tool in this effort. Across the world, governments have often turned to freezing and seizing the money of activists, political rivals, and protestors to undermine the opposition. A CBDC would make such initiatives easier by allowing governments to take direct control of each citizen’s finances.

“Anticorruption laws are poorly enforced, and corruption affects a range of government entities and economic sectors, including law enforcement bodies and extractive industries,” according to Freedom House. “Public procurement processes are frequently compromised by bribery.” The existence of pervasive corruption is a major concern with CBDCs because it calls into question any promises that might be made by the government to limit surveillance, control, or other risks of CBDCs. Furthermore, the existence of corruption calls into question whether CBDC policies might be designed to exert political favoritism through subsidies, price controls, or other targeted restrictions.

For additional information on concerns regarding violations of human rights and civil liberties, see the following reports by Amnesty International, Financial Tyranny Index, Freedom House, Human Rights Watch, Privacy International, and the U.S. Department of State. For additional information on concerns regarding the risks of CBDCs, see the following webpage and report by the Cato Institute: The Risks of CBDCs and Central Bank Digital Currency: Assessing the Risks and Dispelling the Myths.

For additional information regarding metrics, the methodology page explains each of the data points and provides their respective sources.