Bolivia’s capital, La Paz, has become the epicenter of a national crisis as President Rodrigo Paz declared a sweeping state of emergency on June 20, 2026, after nearly two months of escalating protests, road blockades, and mounting public unrest. The move, which grants the military broad authority to clear barricades and restore the flow of essential goods, comes as fuel and food shortages threaten to paralyze the country’s major cities and stoke fears of further violence.
"This is not a state of emergency to restrict people’s lives. It is a state of emergency to give people back their freedom," President Paz announced in a televised address early Saturday, according to AP and Reuters. The decree, which will last up to 90 days but may be lifted earlier if violence subsides, prohibits blocking streets, avenues, and highways in ways that disrupt transportation and supplies. It also orders the armed forces to temporarily support the police in reopening roads and protecting the population.
The protests, now in their seventh week, erupted after Paz’s government abruptly ended two-decade-old fuel subsidies in May, causing gasoline prices to spike and igniting widespread anger. Demonstrators—led by miners, farmers, labor unions, and Indigenous groups—have demanded wage increases, a rollback of austerity measures, and Paz’s resignation. The unrest has been marked by violent confrontations between dynamite-wielding protesters and riot police, resulting in at least 365 arrests and 37 injuries, according to Bolivian authorities. Tragically, at least 17 people have died, most linked to a lack of medical care due to transportation disruptions, with at least seven deaths attributed to the inability to reach hospitals.
Road barricades have effectively isolated La Paz and neighboring El Alto, triggering fuel and food shortages, paralyzing public transit, and leaving supermarket shelves empty. Hospitals have run out of oxygen, and many patients have been unable to access life-saving treatment. "Bolivians cannot continue to be hostages of blockades that prevent working, studying, receiving medical attention, supplying themselves, and bringing sustenance to their homes," Paz wrote on social media, as reported by BBC.
On Friday night, just hours before the emergency declaration, Paz struck a deal with the country’s largest labor union, the Bolivian Workers’ Confederation (COB), whose leaders called for an end to the blockades. However, many protest groups—especially those loyal to former President Evo Morales—have refused to negotiate or lift their barricades. In some areas, particularly around Cochabamba, rural associations aligned with Morales continue to control key highways, defying government pleas for dialogue.
Scenes of chaos unfolded Saturday as police and military personnel fanned out across La Paz and El Alto to clear roadblocks. Government tractors pushed aside debris while neighbors clashed over the removal. "We have suffered, and we want all of this cleaned up. It's good," said Elvira de Mamani, a resident of El Alto, as she watched the cleanup. Yet, not everyone welcomed the intervention. "We have the right to fight for our livelihoods, for our food ... We will fight for our children!" protester Fortunata Perez told Reuters through tears.
The roots of the crisis go deeper than the recent subsidy cuts. Paz, a centrist who took office in November 2025 after defeating more conservative rivals, ended nearly 20 years of rule by the leftist Movement Toward Socialism (MAS) party. He promised to tackle Bolivia’s worst economic crisis in four decades by replenishing the central bank’s depleted reserves and fixing chronic fuel shortages. But his austerity measures, including the elimination of fuel subsidies and attempts to open the economy to private investment, have exacerbated inflation and sparked widespread discontent—especially among the highland Indigenous and rural workers’ groups who helped bring him to power.
Efforts to quell the unrest through cabinet reshuffles, salary cuts for government officials, and the creation of a negotiation council have so far failed to placate demonstrators. Congress, dominated by the hard-right Alianza Libre party, had already paved the way for the emergency declaration in May by repealing a law that previously limited the executive’s power to issue such decrees. Under Bolivian law, Congress must now approve or reject the state of emergency within 72 hours of its declaration.
Political tensions have only intensified amid accusations and counter-accusations. Paz has repeatedly claimed the crisis is an organized attempt to destabilize Bolivian democracy, blaming Morales—who is currently in hiding in the coca-growing tropics, evading an arrest warrant—for orchestrating the unrest. Morales, for his part, has denied direct involvement, telling Reuters the movement is an "indigenous rebellion" driven by economic hardship. He has called for early elections and cast the protests as legitimate resistance to Paz’s economic policies.
International reactions have been swift. The United States, which has backed Paz since he mended relations with Washington after years of anti-Western hostility under Morales, has pledged emergency assistance and logistical support to help alleviate shortages. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio informed Paz last week that Washington was "ramping up emergency assistance and logistics operations support." Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth denounced the protests as "attempts to overthrow the legitimate government" and warned, "The United States is watching." According to a State Department official quoted by Reuters, the U.S. "strongly supports" Paz’s decision "to restore order and ensure the free flow of food, medicine, and essential supplies to the Bolivian people."
Meanwhile, Bolivia’s mining ministry has reported that the country’s mines are operating normally despite the turmoil—a rare bright spot in an otherwise grim economic landscape. Still, the broader economy remains paralyzed, with businesses shuttered and supply chains in disarray. Lawmakers and analysts have voiced concerns that the emergency powers could deepen unrest if they fail to address the underlying causes of the protests or lack public support. "We have seen that after 50 days of the blockade, it was necessary. We see it as somewhat late, because unfortunately, lives have been lost," said Lissa Claros, a lawmaker from Alianza Libre.
As the military and police continue their efforts to reopen Bolivia’s roads and restore a semblance of normalcy, the country stands at a crossroads. The coming days will test whether President Paz’s emergency measures can bring relief to a weary population—or whether the deep divisions exposed by this crisis will persist, fueling further turmoil in the heart of South America.