A wave of protests and road blockades has swept Bolivia in recent weeks, turning sectoral demands into a political crisis that threatens President Rodrigo Paz’s administration. The spark was a march by Amazonian peasants and indigenous groups who walked 24 days from Pando to La Paz to demand the repeal of Law 1720, which allowed small rural properties to be re‑classified as medium‑size for bank credit. Protesters feared the law would pave the way for land concentration.
Although Paz revoked the law on May 13, the move did not quell discontent. High‑altitude unions in La Paz joined the blockades, and the Bolivian Workers’ Central (COB) presented a platform with more than 200 demands, including a 20% wage increase, inflation control – which ended 2025 at 20.4% and stands at 14.18% through April – and guarantees against the privatization of state firms. The COB leads daily protests with teachers, workers, peasants and miners, but the president rejected most of the demands, while reaching limited agreements with educators and mining cooperatives.
The conflict took on a political tone when COB leader Mario Argollo and the Tupac Katari Peasant Federation signed a pact on May 6 to force Paz’s resignation, labeling him “incapable.” That same day, farmers began blockading roads linking the country to Peru and Chile. The government accuses former president Evo Morales of encouraging the unrest, and the prosecutor’s office issued arrest warrants for Argollo and other leaders for alleged public incitement to crime and terrorism. According to authorities, three women, including a Belizean citizen, died from lack of medical care caused by the road closures.
On May 11, hundreds of Morales supporters left Caracollo for La Paz in a march of roughly 190 kilometers to reject government reforms and demand the president’s departure. The mobilization coincided with a second arrest warrant for the former president, who failed to appear at a trial on aggravated human trafficking linked to an alleged relationship with a minor during his 2015‑2016 term, according to the prosecutor’s office.
On May 16, the government deployed police and military to open a “humanitarian corridor” on some routes, but peasants resumed blockades after clashes in El Alto, the city adjacent to La Paz. Tensions peaked on May 18 when a pro‑Morales march entered the capital and joined other sectors in violent protests that left a trail of destruction in public and private facilities. The clashes resulted in more than 120 arrests, of which 90 were later released.
Internationally, the United States labeled the protests an attempted coup. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington “firmly supports the legitimate constitutional government of Bolivia” and “will not allow criminals and drug traffickers to overthrow democratically elected leaders.” Right‑wing governments in Argentina, Chile and Paraguay also expressed support for Paz. In contrast, Colombian President Gustavo Petro described a “popular insurrection,” prompting the expulsion of Colombia’s ambassador in La Paz.