Bolivian president declares state of emergency after weeks of protests demanding his resignation

Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz declared a state of emergency across the Latin American country on Saturday after more than six weeks of road blockades and protests demanding his resignation, saying he had exhausted “all avenues of dialogue.” The decision came hours after Paz signed an agreement with the country’s main trade union federation, Bolivian Workers’ Central (COB), ending the protests sparked by Paz’s plans for the economy. But not all sectors were covered by the agreement, and some unions continued protesting. “After exhausting all avenues of dialogue, reaching agreements with those whose demands were legitimate, and identifying those who used violence in an attempt to destabilise Bolivia, we made the decision to declare a state of emergency across the entire national territory,” Paz said in a televised speech. COB launched the protest movement in early May to reject US-backed Paz’s ideas for ending the country’s worst economic crisis in 40 years. Demonstrators — mainly blue-collar workers, farmers, miners, truck drivers and teachers — called for an end to the centre-right president’s economic reforms and demanded his resignation. Paz has been in power only seven months, and his arrival ended 20 years of socialist rule. Roadblocks across Bolivia have led to shortages of fuel, food and medicine in the country’s main cities, including La Paz. The government reached an agreement with COB on Friday, after negotiations began last week. “From now on, pressure measures are lifted nationwide,” announced Mario Argollo, leader of COB. Paz defended the agreement, saying, “dialogue is stronger than force itself.” ‘Betrayed’ Labour groups and coca farmers in the Chapare region, former president Evo Morales’ stronghold, continued protesting. “We have decided to harden the roadblocks,” Antonio Mallku, leader of one of the main workers’ unions, told the television channel Unitel. “Our Indigenous brothers felt betrayed” by the agreement, he said. The number of road blockad