17.05.2026 08:20
Clashes erupted between protesters demanding the government's resignation and security forces in Bolivia. Roads were blocked during protests in the country's administrative capital, La Paz, where police used tear gas and demonstrators responded with stones and Molotov cocktails. 57 people were detained in the incidents. The government announced that three people died because they could not be transported to hospitals due to the road blockades. The economic crisis and fuel shortage are cited as the main reasons for the protests in the country.
Miners, teachers, students, workers, and indigenous groups gathered around La Paz, Bolivia's administrative capital, organized a protest by blocking roads. Tensions rose in the clashes between security forces and demonstrators.
Police teams attempting to disperse the protesters used tear gas, while the activists responded with Molotov cocktails and stones.
LARGE-SCALE OPERATION FROM THE GOVERNMENT
Government Spokesman Jose Luis Galvez announced that a 3,500-strong security force consisting of soldiers and police launched an operation to remove the barricades.
Galvez stated that the main purpose of the operation is to ensure the delivery of food, medical supplies, and oxygen to hospitals. The government also announced that three people died because they could not be transported to hospitals due to the road blockades.
MESSAGE OF SUPPORT FROM REGIONAL COUNTRIES
The governments of Paraguay, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Panama, and Honduras expressed their concern over the developments in Bolivia in a joint statement.
In the joint statement, support was given to the government of Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz, while it was emphasized that acts of violence aimed at destabilizing the democratic order are unacceptable.
ECONOMIC CRISIS TRIGGERED PROTESTS
Miners, unions, and social organizations have been organizing protest demonstrations for a long time due to fuel supply problems, high inflation, dollar shortage, and the economic crisis.