Paz Threatens 60-Day Emergency in Bolivia as 4 Weeks of Blockades Choke La Paz
Updated
Updated · The Associated Press · May 28
Paz Threatens 60-Day Emergency in Bolivia as 4 Weeks of Blockades Choke La Paz
9 articles · Updated · The Associated Press · May 28
Rodrigo Paz said he could impose a 60-day state of emergency after Congress lifted limits on the army’s role, warning protesters that deaths linked to the blockades would have to be answered for.
Four weeks of roadblocks around La Paz have stranded thousands of trucks and triggered shortages of food, fuel and oxygen; the government says at least four people died after being unable to get medical care.
The unrest grew from backlash to Paz’s early moves in office, including scrapping fuel subsidies that pushed prices up nearly 90%, rejecting further wage demands and alienating Indigenous supporters.
More than 120 people have been arrested, but Paz has still framed force as a last resort while offering bonuses, firing his labor minister and naming an Indigenous lawyer to the cabinet.
Evo Morales has urged elections within 90 days as some allied unions join the protests, while Washington has called the unrest a coup attempt and the U.S. Embassy in La Paz shut for two days.
With his own government fracturing, can President Paz quell nationwide protests without deploying the military?
Is Bolivia trapped between a collapsing economy and escalating civil unrest?
As the U.S. calls protests a 'coup attempt,' is foreign influence pushing Bolivia toward open conflict?
Bolivia’s 2026 Crisis: Four Weeks of Nationwide Strikes, Blockades, and Political Showdown Threaten Stability
Overview
In May 2026, Bolivia plunged into a deepening social crisis as trade unions’ early demands for better wages and fuel supplies quickly escalated into mass protests. The Central Obrera Boliviana (COB) declared an indefinite general strike, uniting miners, teachers, peasants, factory workers, and indigenous communities. By mid-May, the unrest peaked with huge demonstrations in La Paz, joined by supporters of ex-President Evo Morales, all rallying against President Rodrigo Paz. This broad coalition transformed initial economic grievances into a powerful nationwide movement, highlighting the country’s growing political and social divisions.