For four weeks, mass protests and road blockades, now in at least 150 sites, have caused total political and economic upheaval in Bolivia, especially evident in major shortages of food, fuel, medicine, and other vital necessities. Many, but not all, of the protest marches are demanding the resignation of President Rodrigo Paz, charging that his neoliberal policies are destroying living standards, taking away peasant rights, and privatizing state sector companies. Paz tried to assuage some of the anger by offering to reduce his salary by 50%, which is hardly a solution. Complicating matters, other groups are marching to protest the road blockades and call for dialogue with the government so that transportation can resume to end the shortages.
Reflecting the chaos, this morning members of the COB trade union federation joined with peasant and neighborhood groups to march from the large municipality of El Alto down to the capital of La Paz, and “collapsed La Paz,” as the daily Los Tiempos described it, They warned that there will be no dialogue with the government, as one protester was killed last weekend and arrest warrants were issued for other COB trade union leaders. The only option is for Paz to resign, they said.
The situation in the capital is untenable. Gas stations are short of fuel, so long lines of cars form in front of them, obstructing traffic. Roads going into and out of the city are impassable, due to large rocks placed on them. Food, fuel and medicine are getting into the capital only through an air bridge set up for that purpose. The U.S., Brazil, Peru, Chile, and Argentina are sending in humanitarian supplies. Last weekend, the government and security forces tried, but failed to establish a humanitarian corridor into the capital.
