Bolivian security forces clash with Morales supporters as economic crisis deepens

Bolivian security forces engaged in clashes with thousands of supporters of former President Evo Morales as the demonstrators converged on the capital, La Paz, on Monday. The march, which concluded a six-day trek through the Andes, marked the latest escalation in a nationwide protest movement driven by the nation’s worst economic crisis in four decades.

Demonstrators, some brandishing dynamite sticks and slingshots, were met by riot police as they entered the city. Dynamite blasts were heard downtown, prompting security forces to fire canisters of tear gas over the crowd. The protesters, chanting slogans calling for the resignation of President Rodrigo Paz, have been the primary force behind road blockades that have crippled supply chains for over two weeks.

The prolonged blockades have stranded thousands of trucks on key highways, resulting in severe shortages of fuel, food, and medical supplies across La Paz and other urban centres. President Paz, who assumed office last year as Bolivia’s first conservative leader in nearly twenty years, has struggled to address the budget deficit and dollar shortages while attempting to placate powerful Morales-linked groups that have historically utilised road blockades as a political tool.

In response to the unrest, the government has deployed police and military units to break the blockades. The public prosecutor reported at least 90 arrests and an unspecified number of injuries following weekend operations. Deputy Interior Minister Hernán Paredes stated that while the government would permit peaceful marches, it would take action against criminal activity. The administration has recently reached agreements with striking miners and teachers, who agreed to end their protests, though many other groups remain active.

Morales has directed the current mobilisation from a hideout in Bolivia’s remote tropics, where he has remained for the past year and a half to evade an arrest warrant. The warrant relates to allegations of a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old girl, charges Morales claims are politically motivated. He has accused President Paz of orchestrating the unrest to undermine his administration.

The destabilising actions have drawn sharp condemnation from the international community. Eight Latin American governments released a joint statement last week rejecting efforts to undermine Bolivia’s democratic order. The US Department of State added its condemnation on Sunday, expressing support for Paz’s efforts to restore stability. At the president’s request, Argentina announced a weeklong humanitarian airlift to assist with the supply shortages.