Bolivian Lawmaker Pushes Recall Vote on Paz as 4-Week La Paz Blockade Deepens Crisis
Updated
Updated · MercoPress · Jun 2
Bolivian Lawmaker Pushes Recall Vote on Paz as 4-Week La Paz Blockade Deepens Crisis
2 articles · Updated · MercoPress · Jun 2
Summary
Carlos Alarcón proposed an extraordinary recall referendum on President Rodrigo Paz, the vice president and lawmakers, and former senator Andrónico Rodríguez backed the plan on Tuesday.
The proposal comes as La Paz enters a fourth week under road blockades, with food and fuel shortages worsening and pressure rising on Paz to end the siege.
Fuel on the black market is selling at nearly triple the official price, while four tomatoes that cost 4 bolivianos in April now sell for 12 and a chicken costs about 100 bolivianos.
Opposition leader Jorge Quiroga urged the government to restore free movement, and lawmakers last week annulled a law that had limited armed-forces deployment during a possible state of exception.
The protests began over a land-mortgage law scrapped on May 13, then widened into economic demands and calls for Paz's resignation amid Bolivia's worst economic crisis in decades.
Why are global financiers backing a president whose country is grinding to a halt?
Can Bolivia's leader survive this popular uprising without deploying the military?
Bolivia’s 2026 Blockade Crisis: Economic Collapse, Political Fragmentation, and the Fight for Democracy
Overview
As of June 2026, Bolivia is facing a severe, month-long crisis that has brought daily life to a halt through widespread blockades, causing major humanitarian and economic hardship. The unrest is driven by multiple sectors with different grievances, including demands for fuel and wage increases. Former President Evo Morales, despite evading an arrest warrant, has re-emerged as a key figure, leading protests from hiding. The government, under President Rodrigo Paz, has struggled to restore order, facing public distrust, economic challenges like high inflation, and a fragmented Congress, leaving the country at a critical crossroads.