"The government of Rodrigo Paz has sent about 3,500 soldiers and police to clear protesters demanding his resignation. Military and law enforcement clashed with demonstrators outside La Paz, Bolivia, in an attempt to clear roadways that had been blocked as part of nationwide antigovernment protests. As many as 3,500 soldiers and police were deployed as part of the operation that began in the early hours of Saturday. Around 57 people were arrested, according to the citizens' rights ombudsman's office."
"Miners, schoolteachers, Indigenous groups and unions have helped to organise the protests, which aimed to convey outrage against the government of centre-right President Rodrigo Paz. Bolivia is in the grips of an historic economic crisis, considered the worst the country has seen in decades. The government's foreign currency reserves have cratered, as exports from Bolivia have slowed down. Key among those was natural gas."
"Vast reserves of the fuel were discovered in the late 20th century, and for nearly three decades, those natural gas deposits powered Bolivia's economy, transforming the South American country into a major energy exporter. But in 2022, the dynamic switched, amid mismanagement and dwindling supplies. Since then, Bolivia has had to import fuel from abroad, exacerbating its economic crisis. Currently, many parts of the country have experienced long lines for fuel and shortages of basic supplies like food."
"Paz, who was elected in October, had campaigned on alleviating the economic stress. But since taking office, he has spurred outrage by ending a two-decade-old fuel subsidy and pushing to privatise state-owned companies. Earlier this month, the protests forced the repeal of a land reform measure, Law 1720, that critics claimed could be used to dispossess small, rural landowners, in favour of bigger holdings."
About 3,500 soldiers and police were deployed to clear roadways blocked during nationwide antigovernment protests in La Paz, Bolivia. Military and law enforcement clashed with demonstrators during an operation that began early Saturday. Around 57 people were arrested, according to the citizens’ rights ombudsman’s office. Miners, schoolteachers, Indigenous groups, and unions helped organize protests aimed at expressing outrage against centre-right President Rodrigo Paz. Bolivia faces an historic economic crisis marked by depleted foreign currency reserves and slowed exports, including natural gas. Natural gas once powered the economy for nearly three decades, but mismanagement and dwindling supplies led to fuel imports and shortages. Paz ended a long-standing fuel subsidy and pushed to privatise state-owned companies, prompting further unrest. Protests also forced repeal of Law 1720, which critics said could dispossess small rural landowners.
Read at www.aljazeera.com
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