Violent Protests, Marches, and Blockades Paralyze Bolivia

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Issue May 13-19 2026: In mid-May 2026, the center of La Paz saw a three-hour pitched battle as thousands of miners and campesinos clashed with police forces who were trying to prevent their entry to Plaza Murillo. Protesters threw dynamite charges at the police, who responded with tear gas. The Army, deployed around the square as the last line of defense, did not intervene directly. The clash marked part of the largest anti-government mobilization that President Rodrigo Paz has faced since taking office six months ago. The protests brought together labor unions, miners, Aymara Indigenous communities from the La Paz highlands, and neighborhood councils from El Alto, united behind a “non-betrayal pact” that rejected dialogue with the government and demanded the president’s resignation. Commentators and analysts offered plenty of insights, opinions, and background context.

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