Peasant leader from protests in Bolivia was released a few hours after his arrest

Vicente Salazar, a prominent peasant leader and key figure in the road blockades that have paralyzed Bolivia since early May, was released on June 10, 2026, just hours after his arrest. The blockades, demanding the resignation of President Rodrigo Paz, have significantly impacted the country.

Presidential spokesperson José Luis Gálvez informed the media that Salazar had been detained but that a "writ of freedom" in his favor was recognized by a judicial authority. "What corresponds is to comply with the law. So, he was released as the law states," Gálvez said.

A defense lawyer confirmed Salazar's release to the media, stating that the leader had been "taken to a safe place." Salazar was taken to a police office near Plaza Murillo, the seat of government and the legislature, after participating in a march organized by the Federation of Peasant Workers 'Tupac Katari' of La Paz, the entity he leads.

Before the march began in El Alto, Salazar had told the media that the president had "two paths": "voluntary resignation" or leaving "in a convulsion." Salazar and Mario Argollo, the leader of the Bolivian Workers' Central (COB), face arrest warrants for alleged terrorism and public incitement to commit a crime, stemming from the protests that began in May and led to clashes with police and the looting of public and private offices in La Paz.

In late May, a court had declared these arrest warrants "legally void." However, the Departmental Court of Justice of La Paz later clarified that the suspension of the warrants was temporary while the Prosecutor's Office corrected observations made by a lower court. The conflict has now entered its sixth week, with road blockades persisting in six of Bolivia's nine departments, particularly in the Andean and central regions, causing shortages of food, medicine, and fuel.

Minister of Health Marcela Flores reported on Wednesday that 13 deaths have been recorded so far due to individuals being unable to reach medical facilities in time because of the blockades. The Ombudsman's Office has also reported three additional deaths related to the protests, including a demonstrator shot during a de-blocking operation and two others whose circumstances remain unclear.