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Original article: La Paz acorrala a Rodrigo Paz: bloqueos, marchas y paros remecen Bolivia

Early on Monday morning, La Paz witnessed a wave of roadblocks, marches, and mobilizations against the government of President Bolivia, Rodrigo Paz.

A group of tanker trucks blocked the critical intersection at Viacha, in El Alto, a pivotal point connecting the La Paz-Oruro and La Paz-Viacha highways. What started as a focused action quickly expanded throughout the day, drawing in more sectors and an array of demands.

Representatives from the Departmental Federation of Original Intercultural Communities of La Paz and the Departmental Federation of Women from the Yungas participated in the protests, denouncing what they describe as the imposition of laws, the presence of «illegitimate authorities» in the Bolivian capital, and a lack of fuel that is paralyzing essential activities.

As tensions escalated, Paz confronted the situation with a defiant message. “Bolivia wants change, and I am not afraid of mobilizations; I am a builder of democracy who grew up among marches and historic leaderships,” he stated in a video addressing a meeting he held with elected governors on Friday.

However, his words failed to quell the uprising. The Departmental Transport Chamber initiated a hunger strike and roadblocks in response to the ongoing shortage of diesel, forcing heavy transport drivers—who are entirely reliant on this fuel—to wait days and nights in long lines at gas stations, reported the digital outlet Visión 360.

The blockade at Viacha halted vehicle circulation on a key interdepartmental route, forcing buses coming from the east and south of the country to divert to alternate paths. Consequently, the La Paz Bus Terminal suspended all departures to the rest of Bolivia, effectively isolating the capital.

Looking ahead, the week promises to be even more tumultuous. Teachers plan to march demanding wage increases, while the Federation of Medical Unions and Related Branches of Social Security (Fesimras) announced a 24-hour nationwide strike at the National Health Fund (CNS) for Wednesday, April 29, protesting serious deficiencies in the healthcare system and a lack of medical supplies.

Indigenous March Heads to La Paz

Among the strongest pressures against the right-wing government is the march of farmers and indigenous people that is making its way to La Paz, opposing a law that allows the conversion of small to medium agricultural properties.

The Federation of Mine Workers of Bolivia, in coordination with the Bolivian Workers Central, instructed all its affiliated unions to appoint representatives to “join the indigenous march actively.”

Meanwhile, in the Yungas, the region connecting western Bolivia to northern La Paz, the intercultural groups initiated a blockade in Caranavi, as reported by the cited outlet.

“In response to the need to uphold our organic decisions and the will of our base, as well as to defend our social, economic, and democratic rights, the central government’s lack of attention, the assaults on democracy, the attempt to impose illegitimate authorities in the department of La Paz, the imposition of laws and decrees without social consensus, and the provision of poor-quality fuel,” they stated in a resolution explaining the reasons behind the blockade.

*Featured Image: TeleSUR.

La entrada La Paz Triggers Protests: Roadblocks, Marches, and Strikes Shake Bolivia Amid Political Tension se publicó primero en El Ciudadano.