Bolivia's ruling party seeks consensus to extend state of emergency

Bolivia's ruling party is pushing for an extension of the state of emergency, with lawmakers debating whether to prolong the measure for 30 to 180 days. The party believes a longer extension is "ideal" to consolidate the current government amidst national crises.

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What we are going to do is a chamber resolution, which suggests to the president to extend the state of exception, but we need documentary solidity to justify it.

Lawmakers are currently working on a chamber resolution to request the executive branch to issue a decree for the extension. However, they are gathering documentary evidence from the Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Government, and Ministry of Productive Development to justify the decision. Some legislators favor a shorter 30-day extension for stabilization, while the ruling party advocates for a full six months, potentially lasting until March 2027.

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180 days would be ideal, to consolidate the current government, despite the crisis the country is in.

The effectiveness of the current emergency measure has been tested recently. Farmers in Beni initiated a road blockade on the Beni-Santa Cruz highway in protest of a decree. This action has prompted other sectors to consider similar pressure tactics. While the Minister of Public Works has managed to de-escalate a planned mobilization by tanker truck drivers, quinoa producers have also staged a tractor demonstration.

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At the moment, the government faces the blockade in Beni and there has already been a tractor protest by producers in the west of the country who defied the restriction.