Bolivia declares state of emergency to break 50-day blockade

The executive order follows a failed attempt at diplomacy, as a tentative deal with the Bolivian Workers’ Confederation reached on Friday proved insufficient to quell the unrest. Protesters, many aligned with former President Evo Morales, continue to demand wage hikes and the president’s resignation, citing acute fuel and dollar shortages.

This crisis traces back to the abrupt removal of long-standing fuel subsidies, a move designed to address a widening deficit and accommodate International Monetary Fund negotiations. While the administration has since walked back land reforms and pledged to stabilize fuel costs, the concessions failed to appease the opposition. With supply chains for food and medicine severed, the military now faces the task of reopening key transit routes to prevent total economic collapse.