Bolivia blockades strain Trump-backed president Rodrigo Paz

Highway blockades by labor unions and indigenous groups have lasted about 50 days in Bolivia, halting transport and causing at least 14 deaths. The protests began after President Rodrigo Paz, who took office in November 2025 with backing from the United States, abruptly cut long‑standing fuel subsidies to reduce the budget deficit. Although Paz later reversed the subsidy cut and some land‑reform measures, the blockades continued, demanding higher wages, an end to fuel and dollar shortages, and his resignation.

Former president Evo Morales, still a powerful figure, told Reuters he has been in regular contact with protesters and said the “indigenous rebellion” is driven by economic hardship. He denied any role in inciting unrest, stating, “if there is a conflict, it is the fault of the state if it is a social demand.” Paz has opened talks with union leaders, urging the nation to be built on “diverse ways of thinking.”

The blockade’s impact has rippled through La Paz: food prices have surged, with tomatoes doubling and chicken up 70 %; 42 % of restaurants have closed, and hospitals face medication shortages, leaving patients unable to receive treatment. At a public hospital, cancer patients and families chanted, “We want to live!”