Bolivia’s political and social crisis escalated on Saturday after President Rodrigo Paz declared a state of emergency, allowing wider military deployment to dismantle road blockades and restore order amid protests that have paralysed parts of the country for 50 days.
In a national address early Saturday, Paz said the anti-government blockades had gone beyond peaceful protest and were now an organised effort to destabilise Bolivia’s democracy.
“There comes a moment when inaction stops being prudence and becomes irresponsibility. That moment has arrived,” he said, adding that the measure would safeguard citizens and ensure the movement of essential supplies, while warning that those continuing disruptions would face legal action.
Protesters, many aligned with former leftist president Evo Morales, have blocked key highways, leaving freight trucks stranded and disrupting the supply of food, fuel and medicines across several regions, including the administrative capital La Paz.
Around 200 police officers in tactical gear and carrying tear gas canisters were deployed near a police headquarters in El Alto, a city adjacent to La Paz, in the early hours of Saturday.
Opposition lawmakers have warned that the emergency declaration could further escalate tensions, while analysts and legal experts say such powers risk deepening unrest if they lack public support or fail to address the root causes of the protests.
The announcement came shortly after Paz reached an agreement on Friday with the Bolivian Workers’ Confederation (COB), aimed at easing tensions.
However, key road networks in major production areas remain under the control of rural groups aligned with Morales, who were not part of the talks and continue to protest, particularly in Cochabamba.
Congress had earlier cleared the legal pathway for such measures in May by repealing restrictions on executive emergency powers, a move critics said favoured labour and social organisations.
Although the decree took effect immediately, the president is required to inform Congress within 24 hours, after which lawmakers have up to 72 hours to approve or reject it.
“This is not a state of emergency to restrict people’s lives… it is to restore freedom to the people and free Bolivia from those who block roads and harm citizens,” Paz said.
The crisis began after Paz cut long-standing fuel subsidies to reduce the fiscal deficit amid a worsening dollar shortage and ongoing talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Although the government later took steps to stabilise fuel prices and reverse unpopular land reforms, protests expanded into wider unrest.
Trade unions are now demanding higher wages, relief from fuel and currency shortages, and Paz’s resignation.
Paz has been in office for seven months, following nearly two decades of rule by the left-wing Movement Toward Socialism (MAS), led by Evo Morales, who governed Bolivia from 2006 to 2019.
Under Bolivian law, a president may face a recall referendum after completing two and a half years in office.
Paz, who took office with backing from US President Donald Trump as part of a broader strategy to strengthen US influence in the region, has accused Morales of fuelling unrest.
Morales, a prominent leftist leader who governed for nearly 14 years, has supported the protests and called for early elections, while blaming the government’s economic policies for the crisis.
In an interview with Reuters this week, Morales denied instigating the unrest, saying the “indigenous rebellion” was driven by economic hardship.
