Bolivia Declares 90-Day Emergency as Road Blockades Cut Fuel and Food Supplies

President Rodrigo Paz declared a 90-day state of emergency on Saturday, June 20, 2026, authorizing the armed forces to help police clear road blockades that have cut fuel and food supplies to La Paz and other major cities. The decree bars blocking streets, avenues, roads and highways in ways that affect transportation and supplies.

It directs troops to support police in restoring order, reopening roads and protecting the population.

Paz said in a televised address that the measure is meant to guarantee fuel supplies stranded by the barricades. “This is not a state of emergency to restrict people’s lives. It is a state of emergency to give people back their freedom,” he stated.

The government said the order does not limit due process rights or constitutional guarantees and allows people to continue daily activities. It added that the emergency can be lifted earlier if violence and threats against the population end. Protests over the last five weeks have demanded Paz step down after his government canceled fuel subsidies and imposed other austerity measures.

Demonstrations have produced violent clashes between dynamite-wielding demonstrators and riot police. Authorities report at least 365 arrests and 37 injuries. Bolivia’s ombudsman’s office and human rights organizations say at least 17 people have died, most linked to lack of medical care caused by transportation disruptions.

The government reports at least seven of those deaths occurred because patients could not reach hospitals. Barricades on key roads have isolated La Paz, emptying supermarket shelves, leaving hospitals without oxygen and stranding tanker trucks. On Friday night, June 19, Paz signed an agreement with one labor union whose leaders called for the blockades to be lifted.

Other protesters have refused to negotiate and continue to demand his resignation. Paz took office in November 2025, ending almost 20 years of uninterrupted rule by Bolivia’s Movement Toward Socialism party. A centrist who defeated more conservative candidates, he promised to fix chronic fuel shortages and rebuild central bank reserves while preserving social welfare programs.