Bolivia blockades isolate Potosí, cut tourism and spark border‑mesh dispute

Fifteen road‑block points have isolated Bolivia’s Potosí department from the country’s central axis, according to a transitability map from the Administradora Boliviana de Carreteras. The most obstructed route links Potosí with Tarija and Tupiza‑Villazón, while other major roads to Sucre, Oruro and the south are also blocked. Protesters, many of them community leaders, are demanding the resignation of President Rodrigo Paz Pereira.

The blockades are harming the local economy. The Casa Nacional de la Moneda in Potosí reports a sharp drop in visitors, with only a handful of foreign tourists arriving in recent weeks. Director Daniel Oropesa said, “Dada la coyuntura… la cantidad de turistas internacionales y nacionales que arriban… ha disminuido.” The museum has turned to school groups to sustain attendance.

In a related episode, a video circulating on social media claimed Chile had erected a mesh fence on the Bolivia‑Chile border. Fact‑checking shows the footage dates to January 2025 and the barrier was installed by Bolivia’s customs and defence ministries to prevent illegal settlements and transnational crime, not by Chile.