Bolivia Weighs Emergency Rule After 4 Weeks of Protests Fracture Paz Base

8 articles · Updated · Americas Quarterly · May 27

May 24 marked a sharp shift as Bolivia’s government began considering a state of emergency after nearly four weeks of roadblocks, shortages and surging prices in La Paz.
President Rodrigo Paz faces unrest driven less by Evo Morales’s opposition than by his own fractured coalition, with market-oriented policies, weak consultation and fuel, wage and land disputes alienating former supporters.
Edman Lara, 40, the vice president seen as key to Paz’s surprise election win, publicly apologized to voters and said he has not spoken with Paz since January, underscoring the split inside government.
Roadblocks have emptied parts of the capital and strained food supplies, while Paz’s description of protesters as “vandals” deepened anger even as authorities floated dialogue and a new Economic and Social Council.
A cabinet reshuffle and talks could buy time, but the crisis points to a broader breakdown in political representation in Bolivia’s fragmented post-MAS landscape.

With his vice president sidelined, can an isolated President Paz survive this escalating popular revolt?

Can President Paz's austerity plan save Bolivia’s economy, or will it push the nation into total chaos?