The president of Bolivia, Luis Arce, ratified this Friday the medicine and research projects of nuclear technology for peaceful purposes that are being developed in La Paz, during the commemoration of the 213 years of the libertarian deed of that Bolivian city, seat of the Government and the Parlament.
Arce referred to the matter in the honorary session of the Departmental Legislative Assembly of La Paz held at the Government House, in an extensive speech in which he reviewed the achievements of his administration and made some announcements of projects for the department of La Paz.
“Continuing with our progress towards the use of nuclear technology in the fight against cancer, we will continue with the construction of a second nuclear medicine medical center in the city of La Paz, which will be referenced nationally and internationally,” declared the ruler.
This Nuclear Medicine and Radiotherapy Center is being built in the southern area of La Paz, in the residential neighborhood of Achumani, and is 53.3% complete, according to information released at the end of June by the Bolivian Nuclear Energy Agency (ABEN).
The project has an investment of close to 50 million dollars and will include the areas of nuclear medicine, radiotherapy, brachytherapy and clinical oncology, according to the same source.
A similar center began operating last March in the neighboring city of El Alto and another will open in the eastern region of Santa Cruz next September, according to ABEN.
Arce also mentioned that a “Nuclear Technology Research and Development Center for peaceful purposes” is under construction, which will include a preclinical cyclotron-radiopharmacy complex, a multipurpose irradiation center, a nuclear research reactor complex and a training center. .
With these components, the center will allow “the development of agricultural, industrial, mining, water areas, among others, as well as scientific knowledge” for the benefit of the Bolivian population, said the official.
The equivalent of some 351.5 million dollars is invested in this project, which is being built in El Alto, and is executed through an agreement signed in 2017 between the governments of Bolivia and Russia.
The Bolivian president also announced the expansion of a dairy plant in the Altiplano and another citrus plant in the town of Caranavi, in addition to projects to build industries for Andean cereal derivatives, potato processors, grain storage silos, among others.
He also promised an investment of 1.7 million dollars to restore heritage buildings in La Paz and another 20 million dollars to build a “Metropolitan Linear Park” with pedestrian routes and bicycle paths in the city.
The mayor of La Paz, the opposition Iván Arias, expressed to the media his desire that the National Executive summon him to coordinate this work.
Arce did not attend the honorary session of the Municipal Council of La Paz because the departmental Legislative session was scheduled at the same time, in which the governmental Movement for Socialism (MAS) has the majority.
La Paz commemorates this Saturday the 213th anniversary of its revolution against the Spanish colony with parades and events that have lasted throughout the week and will continue throughout the weekend.