Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz declared a state of emergency on Saturday in response to a 50-day blockade crisis that has crippled food, fuel and medicine supplies and pushed the economy close to paralysis. The decree, effective immediately, expands his constitutional powers and opens the way for a wider military deployment to clear major roads and restore order. Under Bolivian law, Paz must notify Congress within 24 hours, and lawmakers have 72 hours to approve or reject the measure.
The unrest began after Paz, a center-right politician who took office in November after roughly two decades of socialist rule, abruptly ended long-standing fuel subsidies. He said the move was necessary to cut the deficit and cope with a severe dollar shortage as the government negotiated with the International Monetary Fund. The decision triggered a widening protest movement, which continued even after officials tried to stabilize fuel prices and rolled back unpopular land reforms. Protesters now want not only an end to austerity measures, but also wage increases, a solution to the fuel and dollar shortages, and Paz’s resignation.
The demonstrations include labor unions, farmers, miners, teachers, indigenous communities and supporters of former socialist president Evo Morales, Paz’s main political rival. Blockades have stranded trucks on highways, cut off key routes and made it harder to move basic goods into cities. Bolivia’s ombudsman says at least 14 people have died in the crisis, including patients unable to reach hospitals and transport workers who suffered medical emergencies while roads were blocked. In La Paz, residents describe shortages of meat, eggs and medicines, sharp price increases and hospitals struggling to obtain basic equipment and painkillers; the local restaurant association says 42% of restaurants in the city have already closed.
Paz said the damage to the economy has reached about $600 million and called the shortages and price spikes worse than COVID-19. His emergency declaration came hours after he announced an agreement with the Bolivian Workers’ Confederation, or COB, which he said offered “a ray of hope for all Bolivians.” But the deal did not end the crisis because many key routes remain controlled by rural organizations aligned with Morales, who were not part of the talks. One such group, the Tupac Katari Federation, said it would continue pressure until the government frees detainees, recognizes indigenous organizations and addresses rural poverty. Paz accused the protesters of trying to destabilize democracy and warned they could face legal consequences, saying the measure was meant to restore freedom, not restrict it.
