In Guayaramerín a unique picture presents itself: The latest Toyota Hilux models, brand new Suzuki and Toyota Noah, used as shared taxis. All without number plates. After a brief investigation, it quickly becomes clear that these are stolen or illegally imported vehicles, known in Bolivia as “autos chutos”.
Half a million vehicles without papers
The cars come from neighbouring countries: Chile, Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay. According to the Bolivian Automobile Chamber, there are half a million unregistered vehicles on the country’s roads. Officially, the Bolivian Institute of Statistics says there are 2 million legally registered vehicles in the country.
All types of vehicles are affected by thefts, from luxury cars and standard models to lorries and even tractors. An average of 50 000 vehicles are stolen each year in Chile, most of which end up in Bolivia.
In Bolivia, they are sold at special markets or directly in Facebook groups. According to the newspaper Correo del Sur, there are 73 markets. Most of them are considered ‘red zones’ because of the high risk of violence during police operations and the casualties that have already occurred.
The stolen vehicles, which have no papers or number plates, are restricted to a limited area. A dealer in Guayaramerín reveals that for an annual payment of US$100 to the police, these vehicles can be driven around the region without any problem. Others drive around the country thanks to “cloned” papers, which are copies of papers and plates from legal cars.
Facebook and used cars
A quick search on the Internet leads to Facebook. A Hilux, built in 2024, “flawless”, is offered for 4000 euros, but with the note “ojo es chuto” (beware, illegal). It’s not the only one: another Hilux for 5300 dollars, or a Suzuki built in 2024, “just arrived”, still without a price, but with a WhatsApp contact number. They are all listed in groups with names like ‘Illegal cars Comarapa’ or ‘Selling illegal cars’. It couldn’t be easier.
Not all cars are stolen. Some are simply illegally imported into Bolivia. There is a market for used cars from developed countries that are taken to developing countries. For example, from Japan to Chile. There, Bolivian smugglers use the identity cards of locals to whom they pay money to get through customs. They then smuggle the cars across the 850-kilometre border between Chile and Bolivia.
Import ban on cars older than one year
In 2011, Evo Morales passed a law that allowed to momentarily legalise stolen cars. A measure that legalised some autos chutos but failed to curb the problem. Since then, there has been no further legalisation.
Current legislation contributes to the situation of autos chutos. Import duties and VAT make legally imported vehicles disproportionately expensive. There is also a ban on importing vehicles that are more than a year old. This measure is intended to prevent Bolivian roads from becoming a junkyards, but it actually encourages smuggling.
In addition, legal papers can apparently be obtained without much difficulty for an additional US$ 2000. Everyone seems to be involved: the state, customs, police, dealers. Even President Luis Arce donated stolen cars in Chile in 2021; he naturally denies knowing where they came from and calls for the “heads” of those responsible, according to the Argentinian newspaper Urgente24.
Cars for cocaine
In a study from Clacso they argue that although the sale of stolen cars is a crime, it promotes the development of rural areas. Farmers trade their pack animals for cars and thus increase their daily productivity.
This phenomenon is particularly prevalent in coca-growing regions. There is a real bartering going on: Cars stolen in neighbouring countries are exchanged for cocaine produced in Bolivia. A Toyota Hilux can be exchanged for between two and ten kilos of cocaine.
Drug trafficking exacerbates the problems in the regions bordering Bolivia.
For the inhabitants of the neighbouring countries, the constant theft of vehicles is a major threat. For Bolivians, it is an opportunity to acquire a motorised vehicle, either to replace their pack animals or to buy a luxury car at a ridiculously low price. For us, this phenomenon is as shocking as it is incomprehensible.