Bolivia crisis deepens as defence and education ministers resign amid mass protests

On 2 June, Bolivia’s president Rodrigo Paz accepted the resignations of Education Minister Beatriz García and Defence Minister Marcelo Salinas. The resignations came after more than a month of nationwide unrest sparked by the Central Obrera Boliviana (COB) and the Tupac Katari peasant federation, which have organized road blockades in eight regions, over 90 separate stoppages, and street demonstrations that have resulted in dozens of deaths, hundreds of arrests and estimated economic losses exceeding $1.6 billion.

The Bolivian Congress has lifted previous limits on declaring a state of emergency, giving the executive authority to deploy the armed forces to disperse blockades. In response, the president has announced salary cuts for himself and his cabinet, while the United States‑linked deputy defence minister Ernesto Justiniano was appointed interim defence minister. Protesters continue to demand Paz’s resignation, the release of detained leaders, and the repeal of the anti‑blockade law.

Additional tension arose after a U.S. aircraft landed in El Alto, allegedly carrying humanitarian aid but later found to contain tear‑gas canisters, highlighting concerns over foreign involvement in the crisis.