The Bolivian government reaffirms that the National Institute of Statistics (INE) is the sole authority responsible for producing official statistical data and conducting national censuses. This clarification establishes that recent localized surveys, such as the one conducted in Santa Cruz, cannot be equated with a national census. These local efforts lack the legal standing and methodological rigor required to generate authoritative demographic figures for the entire country. The distinction emphasizes that surveys and censuses are fundamentally different exercises governed by specific norms. While local entities may perform assessments, these do not replace the comprehensive, standardized process mandated by the constitution for official population counts. Consequently, data derived from non-census methods should not be presented as official national statistics, preserving the integrity of the state’s statistical monopoly. This issue is relevant to open data because it highlights the critical need for transparency regarding data provenance and methodology. Open data initiatives must clearly distinguish between official, standardized datasets and preliminary or localized estimates. Understanding which institutions hold the legal mandate to release authoritative data ensures that users can accurately interpret statistics, preventing the misuse of unverified figures in policy-making and public discourse.
Source: lostiempos.comPublished on 2023-07-21