Bolivia: Dialogue lifts some blockades, but protests intensify in other regions

Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz announced on Saturday that dialogue with mobilized sectors has successfully led to the dismantling of blockades in the southern departments of Chuquisaca and Potosí. These regions had been sites of six weeks of protests and blockades by campesino and union groups demanding Paz's resignation.

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Through dialogue, the blockade points disappear. I want to especially thank Chuquisaca and Potosí today for their willingness to change the way Bolivia does things.

"Through dialogue, the blockade points disappear. I want to especially thank Chuquisaca and Potosí today for their willingness to change the way Bolivia does things," Paz stated on his X account. He added that these departments, along with those in the eastern part of the country, are "contributing to unblocking and supplying" the cities of La Paz and El Alto, which have been most severely affected by the road closures. He also expressed gratitude to factory unions and productive sectors for their cooperation in restoring normalcy.

Despite these positive developments in some areas, the situation remains tense. In regions influenced by former President Evo Morales, mobilizations have reportedly intensified. Producers of coca leaves, who are linked to Morales, have decided to reinforce blockades in the Cochabamba region, disrupting east-west transit across the country. According to the Bolivian Road Administration, 77 road blockades were active on Saturday, with Cochabamba and La Paz experiencing the highest numbers.

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are contributing to unblocking and supplying" to the cities of La Paz and El Alto, which has been the most affected by the road cuts.

The conflict has had severe consequences, resulting in at least 16 deaths. Thirteen of these fatalities are attributed to the inability to receive timely medical attention due to the road blockades. The economic impact is also substantial, with estimated losses reaching $2.5 billion. A large rally of Aymara campesinos on Friday also signaled an escalation, threatening power and water cuts in El Alto and La Paz if their demands for the president's resignation are not met.

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Let's leave behind the old order of confrontation and conspiracy, and move towards a new order based on reconciliation and the construction of the homeland.