Mass protests have swept Bolivia for nearly a month as thousands demanding the resignation of President Rodrigo Paz take to the streets nationwide, with lawmakers this week moving to approve the possible deployment of armed forces to suppress the mobilizations, according to Democracy Now and international media reports Wednesday.
The protests erupted over sweeping austerity measures Paz’s government imposed to address a spiraling economic crisis and soaring living costs. Farmers, teachers and ordinary Bolivians have joined the mobilizations, with demonstrators blocking major highways and organizing general strikes in cities including La Paz, Santa Cruz and Cochabamba. The cuts have devastated essential public services, with particular hardship falling on rural communities already struggling with inflation and degraded healthcare access. International media observers in Bolivia describe the protests as the largest social uprising the country has seen since the disputed elections of 2019 that brought Paz to power.
One protester, Angela Aguirre, told reporters outside a blockade in rural Bolivia: “The babies are starving. We can’t afford to buy food. We seniors no longer have the money to buy food, and I have my granddaughters, who are orphans. I’m asking for a solution.” Her account reflects the widespread desperation among ordinary families squeezed by the government’s retrenchment, with food insecurity rising sharply in farming regions where the cuts have hit school meal programs and rural health clinics hardest.
Lawmakers this week advanced legislation that could authorize military deployment against the demonstrators, a move immediately condemned by human rights organizations including Amnesty International as a dangerous escalation. A Bolivian congressional committee voted to approve the deployment measure late Tuesday, drawing swift condemnation from the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, which warned that a military crackdown would constitute a serious violation of the nation’s international obligations.
Paz has so far refused to step down or reverse course, insisting the austerity package is required to unlock emergency financing from international creditors and prevent complete economic collapse. The president addressed the nation Tuesday, calling protesters “politically motivated saboteurs” and vowing to restore order. But his government faces mounting pressure from within its own coalition, where several regional leaders have broken ranks and signaled willingness to negotiate with protest organizers.
Regional observers and foreign governments have issued calls for dialogue. The demonstrations show no sign of abating, with organizers promising further actions in the coming days. International concern is mounting that Bolivia is drifting toward a confrontation the country can ill afford, with its economy already under severe strain from a depreciating currency, critically low foreign reserves and unemployment figures that have risen sharply since the start of the year.
