Bolivia Enters 36th Day of Nationwide Blockades as Authorities Detain Protest Leaders

Overview

• Protests have reached their 36th day with more than 80 road blockades across Bolivia, producing acute shortages of food, fuel and medical supplies in La Paz, El Alto and other cities.
• Security forces have arrested prominent organizers, including ex-senator Simone Quispe, Justino Apaza and Yesenia Varga, with authorities charging some protesters with terrorism and instigation.
• The Bolivian Senate approved a law to regulate states of exception and the text now awaits the Chamber of Deputies, coming after Congress revoked a 2020 limit on emergency decrees that had constrained executive powers.
• The United States and members of the Escudo das Américas have publicly backed President Rodrigo Paz, have framed parts of the unrest as linked to narcotrafficking and have stepped up security cooperation that includes reengagement with U.S. anti-drug efforts.
• The crisis grew from recent policy shifts—ending long-standing fuel subsidies and a contested land‑classification reform—and has strained household access to food and medicine, raised economic losses and increased the risk of a securitized military response if deputies approve expanded emergency powers.