Bolivia is experiencing a day of road and highway blockades in six of its nine departments, led by various social groups rejecting the end of fuel subsidies—a central measure of the economic package pushed by President Rodrigo Paz Pereira's government, Argentina's News Agency (NA) has learned. The Bolivian Roads Administration (ABC) reported at least 20 active blockage points, mainly concentrated in La Paz, Oruro, Cochabamba, and Chuquisaca, and to a lesser extent in Santa Cruz and Beni, affecting the connection between the country's central axis and productive and border regions.
General Strike and Union Demands The protests are led by factory workers, transporters, miners, peasants, and organizations affiliated with the Bolivian Workers' Center (COB), which declared an indefinite general strike to demand the repeal of Supreme Decree 5503, a regulation that eliminates fuel subsidies and redefines the internal pricing scheme. COB's executive secretary, Mario Argollo, announced near the Murillo square in La Paz that the strike will continue until the government reverses the decree, in a context of a heavy police deployment at the Executive's headquarters.
Regional Impact and Transport Tensions In Beni, particularly in the city of Riberalta, blockades are entering their third consecutive day, with demands that combine rejection of the decree with sectoral claims, such as the drop in chestnut prices. In Santa Cruz, the cuts began from the early hours of Monday in San Julián, while urban transport has been out of service for four days, with demands for a fare increase to compensate for the rising cost of fuel. In La Paz, although urban transport partially resumed its activity after an initial agreement with the Executive, excessive fare charges persist, and a massive miners' march again tensions the country's political center.
Government's Stance The government defended the package of measures, which, in addition to the subsidy removal, includes a minimum wage increase, adjustments to social benefits like the Dignity Rent and the Juancito Pinto Bonus, and a "Tax Forgiveness" for debts prior to October 31, 2025. Despite social pressure and the country's partial paralysis, the Executive reiterated that it will not back down from the subsidy elimination and that dialogue will continue to be the way to resolve the conflict.
