Bolivia Declares National Emergency as Protests Paralyse the Country

President Rodrigo Paz has declared a state of emergency after weeks of demonstrations across Bolivia. The national emergency status grants the military authority to dismantle blockades by protesters that have disrupted food and fuel supplies.

According to Aljazeera on Sunday (21/6/2026), barricades erected on major roads have effectively isolated the administrative capital, La Paz. Demonstrators are calling for Paz to resign due to austerity measures that have ground the economy to a halt over the past 50 days.

Addressing the nation on Saturday (20/6) morning, Paz stated that the anti-government blockades were no longer a social protest but an organised attempt to destabilise Bolivia’s democracy.

“This is not a state of emergency to restrict people’s lives. It is a state of emergency to restore people’s freedoms,” the president said in a televised address.

He said the emergency was intended to ensure fuel supplies, which have been disrupted by road blockades that have stranded tanker trucks.

According to a government statement, the decree will be in effect for 90 days but can be revoked earlier if “the violence and threats against the population end.”

More specifically, the decree prohibits “blocking roads, lanes, and highways in a manner that affects transport and supplies.”

The order also instructs the armed forces to temporarily support the police “in restoring order, reopening roads, and protecting the population.”

Over the past five weeks, a wave of protests has erupted against Paz’s austerity measures, which include the cancellation of fuel subsidies and other issues.

However, the protests have led to violent confrontations between demonstrators and riot police, resulting in 365 arrests and 37 injuries, according to authorities.

At least 17 people have also died, mostly linked to a lack of medical care due to transport disruptions, according to Bolivia’s ombudsman office and human rights organisations.

As the protests have continued, businesses have closed, supermarket shelves have emptied, and hospitals have run out of oxygen. Some sectors of society have called on Paz to restore order in the country through force.