Bolivia declares state of exception amid ongoing protests and economic crisis

Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz has declared a nationwide state of exception, citing the exhaustion of all dialogue avenues amid over six weeks of disruptive protests and road blockades. The move comes just hours after an agreement was reached with the Bolivian Workers' Central (COB) union, which announced the lifting of its pressure measures aimed at securing the president's resignation.

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After having exhausted all avenues of dialogue, concluded agreements with those whose demands were legitimate and identified those who used violence to try to destabilize Bolivia, we have made the decision to declare a state of exception throughout the national territory.

However, not all protesting organizations have accepted the deal. Peasant groups and coca growers from the Chapare region, a stronghold of former socialist President Evo Morales, are continuing their mobilization. "The indigenous brothers felt betrayed" by the COB's agreement, stated Antonio Mallku, a leader of one of the main peasant unions, vowing to intensify road blockades.

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From now on, the pressure measures are lifted at the national level.

The nation is grappling with its most severe economic crisis in four decades. The protests, initially sparked by the COB in early May over the government's lack of response to the economic downturn, saw increasing participation from peasants and factory and mine workers who rejected the center-right president's reform proposals. Paz, who took office in November, ended twenty years of socialist rule.

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Dialogue is always an option, the first option. Force is only intended for those who choose violence.

The road blockades have severely impacted supply chains, leading to shortages of essential goods like food, medicine, and fuel in major cities, including the administrative capital, La Paz. While the number of blockades has decreased from its peak, around fifty remain active, underscoring the persistent unrest.

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We have decided to intensify the road blockades.