Bolivia's Paz declares state of emergency over blockades
Key takeaways
- President Rodrigo Paz says he has declared the state of emergency "to free the country's roads." Blockades have become a major tactic in weeks of intensifying protests to demand that the president resign.
- "This is not a state of emergency to restrict people's lives," Paz said in a televised speech.
- Paz, who called the situation an organized attempt to destabilize democracy, said the decision to declare a state of emergency was made "after exhausting all avenues of dialogue."
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President Rodrigo Paz says he has declared the state of emergency "to free the country's roads." Blockades have become a major tactic in weeks of intensifying protests to demand that the president resign.
https://p.dw.com/p/5Fk T2Paz's emergency declaration allows military deployment to clear blockades and restore order Image: Presidencia de Bolivia/Handout/REUTERSAdvertisement Bolivia's president, Rodrigo Paz, declared a state of emergency early on Saturday, after over six weeks of road blockades and protests demanding his resignation.
"This is not a state of emergency to restrict people's lives," Paz said in a televised speech. "It is a state of emergency to give freedom back to the people, to free Bolivia from those who use political conflict to block roads and harm the population," he added.