Miguel Urbán MEP met with the Bolivian Vice-President Alvaro García Linera and the president of the parliament in La Paz on behalf of GUE/NGL last week, during which the issue of tax havens and the workings of the European Parliament’s ‘Panama Papers’ investigation committee were discussed.

This meeting took place as the Bolivian parliament’s inquiry committee is gearing up to release its own findings into the ‘Panama Papers’ at the end of November.

Urbán was keen to share with his Bolivian counterparts the findings of the European Parliament on this matter, and his views were well-received by the president of the Bolivian Parliament, Gabriela Montaño.

In La Paz, Urban put forward the idea of setting up an international campaign in order to fight against tax havens and to work towards another fiscal regime. He also called for the formation of an international parliamentary network against tax evasion which was well received by the Bolivian Inquiry Committee Gabriela Montaño, President of the Bolivian parliament.

He said afterwards: “I strongly encourage an international campaign in order to fight against tax havens and for a different fiscal regime. The vote on the final report recommendation was an opportunity to open up a public debate which shows that tax evasion and money laundering are not only within our conjuncture, but it’s a structural phenomenon – as the new leak which affects Appleby in Bermuda has amply demonstrated.”