Protests led by mining groups and rural federations escalated into clashes with law enforcement in Bolivia on Tuesday, as tensions mount over the worst economic crisis in decades in the South American nation.
On May 14, small explosions rang out during a demonstration in the capital La Paz, reportedly triggered by miners setting off small sticks of dynamite. Some protesters were seen attempting to break into the presidential palace.
The unrest follows weeks of road blockades, as miners, farmers, teachers, and rural workers voice frustration over the country's prolonged economic turmoil.
Bolivia was once a major exporter of natural gas, but in recent years reserves have begun to deplete and production has plummeted. The country has now become a net importer of fuel, relying on foreign oil and gas.
The collapse of the natural gas industry has coincided with dwindling foreign currency reserves. As a result, inflation has soared, supply shortages have emerged, and prices have skyrocketed. Bolivians are lining up for hours to buy fuel, and hospitals report shortages of basic supplies such as oxygen and medicine.
Centrist leader Rodrigo Paz was elected last October on a promise to tackle the economic downturn. His victory marked a major political shift in Bolivia. For most of the past two decades, except for a brief period in 2019, the country was governed by the Movement Toward Socialism (MAS) party. The weakening of MAS is partly attributed to a wave of economic anger.
However, on May 14, President Paz also faced calls from protesters to step down, much like his MAS predecessor, Luis Arce.
Earlier in the day, a group of 20 miners was invited to the presidential palace to meet Paz and discuss their demands, according to Reuters. Before the meeting, Economy Minister Jose Gabriel Espinoza said his government was “ready for dialogue.”
Issues discussed included fuel subsidies, social welfare, and changes to an agrarian reform measure, Law 1720, which was repealed on May 13 after a wave of protests.
However, officials rejected calls for Paz's resignation. “The president will not resign,” Public Works, Services and Housing Minister Mauricio Zamora stated earlier this month.
Some of Paz's allies have blamed the protests on former President Evo Morales, a former union leader who still commands broad support in Bolivia's rural areas. Morales, who led Bolivia from 2006 to 2019, previously backed protests against Paz's predecessor, Arce, after splitting with MAS.
Morales is also the subject of an arrest warrant: he faces charges of statutory rape and was convicted of contempt of court for failing to attend a hearing last week.
An active social media user, Morales posted multiple times on May 14 about the protests, accusing the government of using him as a scapegoat. He also called on officials to address shortages of food, fuel, and other essentials. “They believe that the thousands of Bolivians who are protesting today — in the streets and on the roads — are merely following a single individual,” Morales wrote in one post. “The angry are driven by social conscience and their rage against a government that, from day one, betrayed voters and the nation.”
