Bolivia moves closer to deploying military as protests spiral under new president
LA PAZ — Bolivia's government moved closer Wednesday to a possible state of emergency, a measure that would allow President Rodrigo Paz to deploy military forces against a wave of protests that have paralyzed key urban centers and deepened a political crisis just months into his administration.
The official gazette published Wednesday showed Paz had signed off on a congressional vote to repeal a law that previously restricted the executive branch's ability to use emergency orders. If the president proceeds with a formal declaration, it would still require approval from Congress, where his coalition holds a narrow majority.
The unrest, now in its fourth week, is driven by union leaders and supporters of former leftist President Evo Morales, who accuse Paz's government of imposing austerity measures that have driven up living costs. Protesters have blocked major roads in La Paz and the neighboring city of El Alto — together Bolivia's largest urban area — causing severe shortages of food, fuel and medicine.
“I have constitutional instruments. Time is running out,” Paz told reporters on Wednesday after meeting with community leaders, local officials and industry representatives. “I have to respond, I have to come up with solutions.” The president said he still preferred dialogue but would not rule out other options.
Opposition lawmaker Sonia Siñani, from the Aymara party, warned that bringing in troops could inflame the situation further. “We are pouring gasoline on the fire,” Siñani said during a virtual congressional debate Tuesday, held online because roads in La Paz remained blocked.
The standoff marks the biggest challenge yet for Paz, who took office in November after nearly two decades of leftist rule under the Movement Toward Socialism (MAS), the party founded by Morales. The former president, now living in exile, remains highly influential among Bolivia's indigenous and working-class communities, and his supporters view Paz's economic policies as a betrayal of the social gains made under MAS.
Political analysts say the crisis reflects deeper fault lines in Bolivian society, where resentment over inequality and inflation has been building since the pandemic. If Paz invokes a state of emergency, it would be the first time in years that soldiers have been used for domestic security — a move that risks escalating violence and drawing international criticism.
As the standoff drags on, residents in La Paz have begun hoarding supplies. “We don't know when the roads will open, or if the government will send the army,” said Marta Quispe, a shopkeeper in El Alto. “We just want to be able to buy bread and cooking oil.”
— Reporting by Daniel Ramos and Monica Machicao in La Paz; additional reporting by Lucinda Elliott; writing by Daina Beth Solomon and Aida Pelaez-Fernandez; editing by Rosalba O'Brien