Bolivia’s President Rodrigo Paz declared a state of emergency to free the country’s roads after weeks of anti-government protests backed by unions, farmers and supporters of Evo Morales turned into a crisis of shortages and a halted economy.
Saturday did not start like this. For weeks, Bolivia’s roads have been blocked—day after day—until food, fuel and medical supplies stopped moving in parts of the country and the economy effectively ground to a halt.
In a televised address to the nation. President Rodrigo Paz declared a state of emergency. ordering the “implementation of the State of Exception to free the country’s roads.” He said Bolivians “cannot continue to be hostages of blockades that prevent working. studying. receiving medical attention. supplying themselves. and bringing sustenance to their homes.”.
The president framed the move as a path to restoring day-to-day life. Paz said it aims to “restore” normalcy to Bolivia, where he described “organized groups” as using violence to paralyze the country. He also said the state of emergency clears the way for the military and police to restore order.
The declaration comes after an escalation that has lasted about 50 days of road blockades. Protests backed by workers unions, farmers and supporters of former President Evo Morales have demanded that Paz resign. The unrest has been fueled by rising living costs and broader economic pressure—conditions that. in Paz’s account. are being made worse by blockades that keep essential goods from reaching communities.
Paz’s decision also sits inside a broader security shift. Last month, he signed a law allowing military forces to intervene in internal conflicts. At the same time, he had previously said declaring a state of emergency would be a last option if dialogue failed.
In Saturday’s address, Paz said dialogue had run its course. “After exhausting all dialogue. after reaching agreements with those who had legitimate demands. and clearly identifying those who used violence to try and destabilize Bolivia. we have made the decision to enact a state of exception across all national territory. ” he said.
Those grievances are not only about politics. Unions are demanding wage increases and an end to fuel and dollar shortages. The unrest first erupted in May after Paz cut long-standing fuel subsidies as a way to shrink the deficit.
Paz took office seven months ago. inheriting what he described as the country’s worst economic crisis in a generation—one that helped end nearly two decades of leftist rule. His election marked a historic shift for Bolivia. which has been governed almost continuously since 2006 by Bolivia’s Movement to Socialism. or MAS.
To stabilize parts of the economic picture, Paz has also tried to strengthen diplomatic ties with Washington, strained since 2009. In September, he unveiled plans for a $1.5 billion economic cooperation deal with US officials to ensure fuel supplies.
What has followed since May is a tightening set of pressures: Bolivia’s crisis-hit economy is low on foreign currency, its once-plentiful natural gas exports have plummeted, inflation has reached a 40-year high, and fuel is scarce.
The sequence now visible in the streets is stark. Blockades have dragged on for weeks. shortages have spread to food. fuel and medical supplies. and Paz has moved from negotiation to emergency powers aimed at reopening the roads. For protesters, the demand remains straightforward—Paz should resign. For Paz, the priority is restoring order and normalcy across national territory under the State of Exception.
Bolivia Rodrigo Paz state of emergency blockade crisis protests road blockades shortages military police Evo Morales workers unions farmers Movement to Socialism MAS fuel subsidies