Bolivia declares state of emergency amid blockade crisis
Key takeaways
- For several weeks, a wave of protests has erupted over President Rodrigo Paz’s austerity measures.
- Addressing the nation early on Saturday morning, Paz said antigovernment blockades were no longer a social protest but an organised attempt to destabilise Bolivia’s democracy.
- “This is not a state of emergency to restrict people’s lives.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
For several weeks, a wave of protests has erupted over President Rodrigo Paz’s austerity measures.
xwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogle Add Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Military Police stand guard outside the Quemado presidential palace in La Paz after Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz declared state of emergency [AFP]By AP and Reuters Published On 20 Jun 202620 Jun 2026Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz has declared a state of emergency, which gives the military the power to remove blockades that have disrupted food and fuel supplies.
Barricades that have been erected on key roads have effectively isolated the administrative capital, La Paz, after a wave of protests calling for Paz to step down over austerity measures have brought the economy to a halt during the past 50 days.