Today's News: 50 days of blockades drive up food prices and cause deaths
Bolivia reaches 50 days of road blockades this Friday, with a critical impact on family economies and public health. While the prices of basic products suffer extreme variations depending on the region, the medical sector has initiated legal actions over the deaths of people trapped in the road closures.
The persistence of the protests, called for by the Bolivian Workers' Center (COB) and peasant sectors, has caused the price of foods such as chicken to skyrocket to 40 bolivianos in La Paz, while in Santa Cruz it is being sold off at 10 bolivianos due to the impossibility of transporting it. The Medical College of Bolivia reported to the prosecutor's office that the lack of passage for ambulances and medical supplies has already caused six deaths. In towns like Achocalla, groups of neighbors have begun to rebel against their leaders, demanding a return to work, while the Túpac Katari peasant federation is considering radicalizing the measures with a "dry blockade" (a total closure of routes without exceptions).
In the legal and security sphere, the Bolivian Senate will form a special commission to investigate the "narcomaderas" case, referring to recent seizures of drugs hidden in wood detected in Chile. For its part, the Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ), the highest body of ordinary justice, has called an emergency meeting to analyze the institutional situation and defend the independence of judges in the country.
Regarding border issues, a group of Bolivian military personnel returned to the country after being released from an investigation in Chile. Although it was established that they did not commit crimes when crossing the border, Chilean authorities are still holding an official vehicle, a rifle, pistols, and cell phones belonging to the uniformed personnel.
To learn more details about these stories and other events, we invite you to visit the News section in our application. There you will find information about the judicial investigation against the presidential spokesperson in Argentina, the case of an activist murdered in Ecuador, and Mexico's progress in the World Cup.