Bolivian road blockades cause truck driver death and another critical injury

A truck driver stranded on the La Paz‑Oruro highway was rescued by fellow drivers after being found unconscious in his cab. He was evacuated to El Alto and placed in intensive care, confirming that he survived the incident despite earlier reports of his death. The driver’s rescue occurred amid ongoing road blockades that have left more than 5,000 trucks stuck for over 40 days and have already claimed at least two transport workers’ lives.

In a separate incident on a diversion near the Machacamarca crossing on the Oruro‑Potosí route, José Alberto Q. T. was found dead beside his vehicle after it became stuck in sand while trying to avoid the blockades. Police have not confirmed the exact cause of death, but transport union officials say drivers are forced to take unsafe detours to keep moving, leading to additional fatalities.

The blockades, organized by campesino groups and affiliates of the Central Obrera Boliviana, have triggered 46 days of conflict and 41 road closures, severely disrupting Bolivia’s heavy‑truck transport sector and threatening the flow of international trade through the country.