Santa Cruz, Bolivia – A spiralling political conflict is threatening social stability in Bolivia.Just six months after the new administration took office, President Rodrigo Paz is facing a wave of demonstrations, highway blockades and growing calls for his resignation.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of listThe unrest began a little more than a month ago with the convergence of several sector-based demands. Some organisations were calling for wage increases, others complained about contaminated fuel that had damaged thousands of vehicles, while additional groups protested against a law authorising changes to land classifications, which, its critics said, favoured land concentration among big business owners.Although the government managed to ease some of the disputes by conceding to certain demands, including repealing the land law and offering a financial bonus for teachers, as well as speeding up compensation for some vehicles damaged, Indigenous groups from the highlands decided to push the protests to the limit by blocking roads in an effort to force the president to step down.On May 6, hundreds of protesters began erecting barricades that have since surrounded the city of La Paz, the seat of government, maintaining an average of 20 simultaneous pickets each day. They have also secured the support of other organisations that have historically exerted pressure over government decision-making, including the Bolivian Workers’ Union.“The demand is for the president to resign due to his inability to solve the country’s structural problems; he is leading us adrift … he is mortgaging …
