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Bolivia Blockades Ease as Unions Propose Negotiations

Negotiations would test whether fractured protest leaders will allow deliveries to reach hospitals.

Overview

  • Since early May nationwide road blockades led by the Central Obrera Boliviana and the Túpac Katari federation have demanded President Rodrigo Paz’s resignation and disrupted supply lines across at least six departments.
  • Over the weekend the government said more than 20 blockade points were lifted and reported deliveries of six tonnes of medical oxygen plus increased fuel shipments to La Paz and El Alto.
  • COB and Túpac Katari leaders for the first time said they will consult their bases on opening formal talks, citing exhaustion after weeks of protests.
  • Hardline factions aligned with Evo Morales and some regional campesino groups have called to sustain or radicalize the campaign, including threats to seize institutions and cut services.
  • Human-rights groups and industry estimates put the humanitarian and economic toll at dozens of deaths tied to denied care, roughly USD 1.6–2.0 billion in losses, thousands of trapped trucks, and authorities report seizing more than 7 million bolivianos linked to organizers.