Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz declared a state of emergency on Saturday to restore order and clear road blockades that have paralyzed the country for 50 days. The move enables wider military deployment across the nation to free the country's roads and address a crisis that has ground the economy to a halt.
The intensifying protests, which have lasted nearly two months, have been driven by demands for the president's resignation. These blockades have led to severe disruptions and triggered critical shortages of food, medicine, and fuel across the capital.
The declaration of the state of emergency came just hours after President Paz reached an agreement on Friday with the Bolivian Workers' Confederation (COB), the country's main labor union. While this deal is seen as a step toward resolving the conflict, some protest groups have rejected the agreement.