Bolivia's President Rodrigo Paz declared a state of emergency early on Saturday, following over six weeks of road blockades and protests demanding his resignation.

In a televised speech, Paz stated: "This is not a state of emergency to restrict people's lives. It is a state of emergency to give freedom back to the people, to free Bolivia from those who use political conflict to block roads and harm the population."

Paz, who described the situation as an organized attempt to destabilize democracy, said the decision was made "after exhausting all avenues of dialogue."

The declaration came hours after Paz announced on Friday that he had reached a deal with the country's main trade union, the Bolivian Workers' Confederation (COB).

The conflict erupted in May after Paz scrapped two-decade-old fuel subsidies, causing gas prices to spike. Anti-government protests escalated into roadblocks on key routes nationwide, choking off access to Bolivia's main cities, including La Paz and neighboring El Alto.

Demonstrators, including labor unions and groups loyal to former leftist President Evo Morales, reject Paz's economic reforms. They are demanding wage increases, a rollback of austerity measures, and Paz's resignation.

Paz, whose election victory ended nearly 20 years of rule by the leftist Movement for Socialism (Mas) party in the South American country, has been in power for only seven months. He took office in November 2025, promising to tackle the country's worst economic crisis in four decades.

Source: www.dw.com