The Bolivian government has escalated efforts to break a prolonged wave of anti-government demonstrations, with President Rodrigo Paz declaring a nationwide state of emergency and authorising security forces to dismantle roadblocks that have disrupted daily life and economic activities across the country.
The announcement came after more than six weeks of sustained protests led by labour unions, Indigenous organisations and coca-growing communities, who have mounted pressure on the administration through marches and widespread highway blockades.
The demonstrations have severely affected the Andean nation, causing shortages of essential goods including fuel, food and medical supplies in major cities. The disruptions have also inflicted significant economic losses and intensified political tensions surrounding the government.
In a televised address late Saturday, President Paz signalled a tougher stance against those behind the protests, warning that authorities would act decisively to restore order.
Shortly after the declaration, security operations commenced in parts of the country. AFP correspondents in El Alto reported seeing heavily armed police units moving through the city in convoys while bulldozers were deployed to remove barricades erected by protesters.
Some residents reportedly applauded as the security teams advanced through affected areas.
The emergency declaration, which will remain in effect for 90 days, imposes restrictions on public demonstrations and grants the government authority to deploy military personnel within the country to support internal security operations.
Defending the decision, Paz said the prolonged blockades were inflicting hardship on ordinary citizens.
“Bolivians cannot continue to be held hostage by blockades that prevent them from working, studying, receiving medical care, getting supplies and bringing food to their homes,” Paz said in a social media post.
“This state of emergency is not intended to take away normalcy, but to restore it.”
Security presence was also heightened in the capital, La Paz, where military police officers and naval personnel were stationed around the presidential palace, while specialised police units took positions at strategic public locations.
The protests are driven largely by opposition to the government’s market-oriented economic policies. Demonstrators have demanded that Paz abandon his reform agenda and resign from office.
The 58-year-old leader, who became Bolivia’s first conservative president in two decades, had previously attempted to ease tensions through dialogue. Earlier in the week, his administration reached an agreement with one of the country’s largest labour organisations in an effort to defuse the crisis.
Under the arrangement, the government pledged not to privatise state-owned enterprises and committed to further negotiations. In return, the Bolivian Workers’ Central agreed to suspend its protest actions.
Despite that breakthrough, resistance remains strong among several Indigenous groups, many of which have rejected the agreement and vowed to continue their campaign against the government.
Authorities say more than 40 major roadblocks remain active across Bolivia, raising concerns that the political standoff could continue despite the latest emergency measures.
(Ripples)
