Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz announced he would cut his salary and those of his cabinet ministers in half during a political crisis marked by protests and roadblocks. The unrest has entered its fourth week, causing supply-chain disruptions in La Paz and El Alto and severe shortages of food, fuel, and medicine affecting markets, hospitals, and petrol stations. Protesters are demanding Paz’s resignation and urging the government to roll back austerity measures, increase wages, and restore a fuel subsidy that kept prices at 2006 levels. Critics say Paz is aligned with big business and elites and that his cabinet lacks Indigenous and working-class representation. Paz defended spending cuts and fuel subsidy reductions as necessary to stabilize public finances after inheriting an economy in turmoil.
"The protests come amid concerns that the president is aligned with big business and elites, and ruling in favour of them especially as he did not appoint any Indigenous or working-class people to his cabinet, a contrast from the past. Paz, who took office in November and inherited an economy in turmoil, has defended spending cuts and fuel subsidy reductions as necessary to stabilise public finances."
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