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Original article: Estado de excepción en Bolivia en todo el territorio: 90 días de desplazamiento militar y una serie de restricciones de derechos

Bolivia: Active Blockades Challenge State of Emergency and Government Agreement with COB «That Controls No Protest Points»

Bolivia marks 51 days of social conflict today, with 42 active blockades across five departments, despite the state of emergency declared by President Rodrigo Paz and a peace agreement signed with the Central Obrera Boliviana (COB). This ongoing crisis has paralyzed productive activities and restricted the flow of food, fuel, and medicine, resulting in 14 fatalities, 37 injuries, and economic losses estimated up to $2.5 billion, according to a report from Bolpress on June 20.

The declaration of a state of emergency, issued on the 51st day of the conflict, ordered the deployment of Armed Forces and Police to restore public order, particularly on the roads. According to a publication from La Razón de Bolivia, the restrictions include a temporary suspension of freedom of movement, a total ban on blockades, curfews, prohibition of alcohol in intervened areas, and a ban on carrying items such as explosives, fuels, or ‘miguelitos.’

The cities of La Paz and El Alto have experienced the greatest impact from the blockade, which restricts the delivery of essential goods, leading to shortages and increased prices for various products.

President Paz justified the extraordinary measure in a message from his office: «We have decided to declare a state of emergency across the entire national territory,» asserting that for weeks his government prioritized dialogue over confrontation, but the ongoing blockades necessitated this exceptional measure to restore order, as reported by Bolpress.

The agreement signed between the government and the COB, led by its executive Mario Argollo, was immediately rejected by the sectors maintaining the blockades. The Departmental Federation of Peasant Workers of La Paz «Túpac Katari» instructed its members to maintain and intensify blockades across all 20 provinces. In Cochabamba, the Coordinating Committee of the Six Federations of the Tropics labeled the pact as a «betrayal» and announced it would continue measures until President Paz resigns and new elections are called, according to Bolpress.

The blockades are primarily concentrated in La Paz and Cochabamba, with 16 points in each department; Oruro reports seven, Santa Cruz two, and Potosí one. The persistence of these measures contradicts the COB’s announcement to lift its mobilizations, while representatives from the heavy transport sector, one of the hardest-hit, openly challenged the union’s ability to manage the situation. «The COB controls not a single blockade,» claimed their representatives, undermining the effective reach of the agreement, as noted by Bolpress in its coverage.

The humanitarian toll of the crisis is severe. The Ombudsman reported that as of June 15, there were 14 deaths attributed to the blockades, including at least two minors under 12. Among the most tragic cases is that of a child who died when an ambulance could not reach him from Llallagua, and a girl with cancer who passed away after failing to reach her treatment in La Paz. In response, the Bolivian Air Force initiated solidarity flights to transport cancer patients and reinforce the delivery of medications, according to Bolpress.

With the state of emergency now in effect and operations underway to clear the roads, the government faces the dual challenge of clearing blockades and restoring the supply of essential goods to the population. The measure also allows for the suspension of banking services in intervened areas and restrictions on drone usage, as the Executive seeks to guarantee free movement, secure access to food, fuel, and medicine, and revive productive activity in a country that has experienced over seven weeks of paralysis.

See also report from France 24

La entrada State of Emergency Declared in Bolivia: 90 Days of Military Deployment and Restrictions on Rights Amid Ongoing Protests se publicó primero en El Ciudadano.