Bolivia ends 7‑week road blockades amid mass protests

Road blockades that had cut off Bolivia for more than seven weeks were lifted on Tuesday after authorities ordered police and the army to reopen the routes. The blockades, which at their peak numbered over 100, had been organized by farmers, indigenous groups and workers demanding the resignation of President Rodrigo Paz. The reopening restored the flow of food, fuel and other supplies to major cities such as La Paz and El Alto.

President Paz had declared a 90‑day state of emergency on Saturday, banning demonstrations and authorising security forces to clear the blockades. Public Works Minister Mauricio Samora announced on X, "Our roads have been freed." Former President Evo Morales later called for a cease‑fire at his Chapare stronghold, saying the protests would not end on unconditional terms.

Governments of the United States and about fifteen other American‑hemisphere nations expressed deep concern over the humanitarian impact and pledged support for Bolivia’s constitutional order. Panama’s president accused drug traffickers of financing the “radical left” in Bolivia, while the Bolivian government blamed Morales for allegedly funding the mobilisations with drug‑money, a claim it has not substantiated.