Bolivia Declares State of Emergency and Restricts National Transit
Bolivia is under a state of emergency following a decision by President Rodrigo Paz to address 50 days of road blockades. The government has implemented restrictions on movement and launched new economic decrees to mitigate the crisis. The measure comes amid reports of deaths linked to the protests and tensions with social sectors.
Supreme Decree 5536 establishes temporary restrictions on free movement, transit, and the right to assembly throughout the country. This regulation, which takes effect immediately, allows the government to limit the movement of citizens as the conflicts evolve. President Paz justified the measure, characterizing the mobilizations of peasant and coca-growing sectors as a "coup d'état" attempt fueled by narco-terrorism. The Plurinational Legislative Assembly, the body that dictates the country's laws, has 72 hours to review this declaration.
In the economic sphere, the Executive approved three new exceptional decrees including the distribution of the "PEPE bonus" (a direct financial aid) and measures to manage fuel supplies. These provisions aim to alleviate the financial impact on the population and ensure energy supplies while the current crisis persists.
Meanwhile, the Medical College of Bolivia has initiated legal proceedings with the prosecutor's office following the deaths of six people. According to the institution, the blockades prevented the passage of ambulances and essential medical supplies, resulting in the patients' deaths. At the same time, the Túpac Katari peasant group announced it will intensify protests starting Sunday, after rejecting the position of the Bolivian Workers' Center.
Finally, on matters of security and justice, the Supreme Court of Justice called an emergency meeting to analyze the situation of judicial institutions. Additionally, the return to the country of Bolivian soldiers who were detained in Chile following a border incident was reported; although the personnel are now in national territory, Chilean authorities still hold a vehicle, rifles, and other equipment in their custody.
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