Banks (Bancos) are risky
business in Bolivia
as in any developing country. There is always some worry about opening an account here. The following are leading institutions in
Santa Cruz
(although they are all present in most major Bolivian cities) that have demonstrated relative stability under uncertain political circumstances. None of these have folded yet, but it's always good to keep informed about the country's economic and
political situation,
mergers between businesses, and other types of news that might cause you to speculate or to want to delve a bit more deeply into their current status. Because of the slight risks involved in investing in Bolivia, you can usually get higher interest rates on your deposits than you might in other more stable countries. They are closed on all
public holidays
and may also close when there are other festivities, which they decide on a day-to-day basis.
Keep informed about the decisions the central government is making concerning the country's businesses and economy. The movement toward nationalization may or may not eventually affect these companies - this is unknown at this time.