Víctor Hugo Zamora

Víctor Hugo Zamora Castedo (born 5 December 1970) is a Bolivian engineer and politician who served as the Minister of Hydrocarbons from 2019 to 2020 during the interim government of Jeanine Áñez.[1] He previously served as a Senator and Deputy for Tarija from 2010 to 2015 and 2005 to 2009 respectively.[2][3]

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Zamora and the second or maternal family name is Castedo.

Víctor Hugo Zamora
Minister of Hydrocarbons
In office
14 November 2019 – 9 November 2020
PresidentJeanine Áñez
Preceded byLuis Alberto Sánchez
Succeeded byFranklin Molina Ortiz
Senator for Tarija
In office
22 January 2015 – 14 November 2019
Member of the Chamber of Deputies from Tarija
In office
22 January 2006 – 22 January 2010
ConstituencyCircumscription 45
Personal details
Born
Víctor Hugo Zamora Castedo

(1970-12-05) 5 December 1970
Santa Cruz, Bolivia
NationalityBolivian
Political partyNationalist Democratic Action
Revolutionary Left Movement
PPB-CN
Christian Democratic
EducationJuan Misael Saracho Autonomous University

Biography

Víctor Hugo Zamora was born on 5 December 1970 in Santa Cruz, Bolivia but was raised in Tarija due to his father's work. He is the son of José Zamora Zelaya, an industrial engineer, and Blanca Castedo Kreidler and is the last of 6 children.[4]

Zamora studied engineering at the Juan Misael Saracho Autonomous University where he graduated in 1995.[4] He completed postgraduate studies at the University of Seville in Spain, obtaining a diploma and master's degree in Environment with a major in Hydrocarbons.[1] Zamora served as the executive secretary of the Local University Federation and chaired the Bolivian University Confederation.[4]

During his working life, Zamora worked as a private consultant and as director of rural development and secretary general of Tarija from 2000 to 2002.

Political career

At age 27, he participated in the 1997 Bolivian general elections, running as a member of the Nationalist Democratic Action (ADN) for uninominal deputy for Tarija but was unsuccessful.[5]

Councilor of Tarija (2005–2009)

Faced with his failure in 1997, Zamora changed his political allegiance from the ADN to the Revolutionary Left Movement (MIR) and ran as a candidate for councilor for the municipality of Tarija. This time he was victorious and acceded to the position on 10 January 2005. During his time as councilor, Zamora founded the department political group Unidos Para Renovar along with other regional leaders.[5] On 6 September 2009, he resigned from the position to qualify for the 2009 general elections.

Deputy for Tarija (2010–2014)

In the 2009 general elections, the Tarijan group United to Renew (UNIR) supported the Plan Progress for Bolivia – National Convergence (PPB-CN). As a member of this political alliance, Zamor ran for uninominal deputy for circumscription 45 of Tarija.[6] Unlike 1997, this time Zamora won, obtaining 43.3% of the vote.[5] He entered office on 22 January 2010 and resigned on 12 July 2014 to run for senator in the October general elections.

Senator for Tarija (2015–2019)

Running as a member of the Christian Democratic Party (PDC), Zamora was elected Senator for Tarija and entered the Chamber of Senators as the only member of his party on 22 January 2015.[7]

Minister of Hydrocarbons (2019–2020)

On 14 November 2019, the newly established interim government of Jeanine Áñez appointed Zamora Minister of Hydrocarbons.[8] His previous position as Senator for Tarija was of particular relevance as Tarija is the main hydrocarbon producer in the country. He held the office until 9 November 2020 when he was replaced with Franklin Molina Ortiz by the newly inaugurated President Luis Arce.[9]

After leaving office, Zamora was implicated in an investigation surrounding the internal Administrative Resolution 78/2020 which irregularly allowed Bolivian Fiscal Oil Fields (YPFB) to make direct awards of goods and services during the COVID-19 pandemic.[10][11][12] Departmental Prosecutor of La Paz, Marco Antonio Cossío, reported that it was presumed that Zamora had knowledge of the resolution which allowed YPFB to make those awards. "The investigation against the ex-authority was expanded, because according to the statements of witnesses and those involved, the resolution prepared during the pandemic in the management of the former president of the state oil company, Herland Soliz, accused in the process, was coordinated from the Ministry of Hydrocarbons," said Cossío.[12]

On 16 November 2020, Zamora was subpoenaed, for the crimes of improper use of influence and breach of duties, in order to present and assume his defense.[11] However, on 19 November 2020 it was announced that an immigration alert had been activated against the former minister, blocking him from leaving the country by any means.[13] On 23 November, police commander Colonel Jhonny Aguilera announced that an arrest warrant had been activated against Zamora.[14] This was due to the fact that Zamora had failed to attend his subpoena and could not be found at his declared address nor at two other houses raided by police in Tarija. By 25 November, authorities claimed that they presumed that Zamora had fled either to Argentina or Paraguay.[15]

References
  1. "El tarijeño Víctor Hugo Zamora se hace cargo de Hidrocarburos". www.paginasiete.bo (in Spanish). Retrieved 14 December 2020.
  2. "Vicepresidencia del Estado". www.vicepresidencia.gob.bo. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
  3. "Vicepresidencia del Estado". www.vicepresidencia.gob.bo. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
  4. Romero Ballivián, Salvador (2019). Diccionario biográfico de parlamentarios 1979 - 2019. p. 652. ISBN 978-99974-0-021-5.
  5. Romero Ballivián, Salvador (2019). Diccionario biográfico de parlamentarios 1979 - 2019. p. 653. ISBN 978-99974-0-021-5.
  6. "TARIJA". www.opinion.com.bo. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
  7. "Víctor Hugo Zamora Castedo". www.eldiario.net (in Spanish). Retrieved 14 December 2020.
  8. País, Redacción Digital / El (15 November 2019). "Víctor Hugo Zamora, nuevo Ministro de Hidrocarburos". El País Tarija (in Spanish). Retrieved 14 December 2020.
  9. "BNamericas - Franklin Molina Ortiz asume como ministro de..." BNamericas.com. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
  10. "Fiscalía investiga a exministro de Hidrocarburos por dos delitos". Erbol (in Spanish). 14 November 2020. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
  11. "La justicia citará al exministro Víctor Hugo Zamora como sindicado en caso YPFB". Correo del Sur (in Spanish). Retrieved 14 December 2020.
  12. Bolivia, Opinión. "Amplían investigación contra exministro de Hidrocarburos Zamora por irregularidades en YPFB". Opinión Bolivia (in Spanish). Retrieved 14 December 2020.
  13. "Activan alerta migratoria contra el exministro Víctor Hugo Zamora". Los Tiempos (in Spanish). 19 November 2020. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
  14. Bolivia, Opinión. "Hay orden de aprehensión contra el exministro de Hidrocarburos Víctor Hugo Zamora". Opinión Bolivia (in Spanish). Retrieved 14 December 2020.
  15. Noticias, ATB Digital-. "Continúa la búsqueda del exministro Víctor Hugo Zamora". ATB Digital (in Spanish). Retrieved 14 December 2020.
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