Bolivia's plan to nationalize its natural gas industry has stalled because the state gas company has neither the money nor the technical expertise to take control.
The President Evo Morales's government has made only moderate progress in winning higher prices from its neighbors for its natural gas.
The Brazilian, Spanish and other foreign companies that were supposed to leave, are still operating.
Bolivia claims South America's second-largest natural gas reserves. In announcing the nationalization, Morales was fulfilling both a campaign promise and dramatically rejecting U.S.-backed economic policies, which have been losing favor throughout Latin America.
The announcement said YPFB needed a $180 million loan from Bolivia's central bank to move forward. Money problems also have blocked government plans to claim a majority share of Bolivian gas facilities now controlled by foreign companies.
