President Rodrigo Paz of Bolivia enacted legislation that could allow a military crackdown on protests, claiming without proof that the demonstrations are tied to narco-terrorism-a narrative echoed by US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The move revokes prior safeguards on emergency powers and follows the termination of a fuel subsidy, sparking demands for Paz's resignation amid deaths, injuries, and mass arrests.
Bolivia 's President Rodrigo Paz has signed legislation that could enable his administration to declare a state of emergency , granting the military authority to address ongoing protests and approximately 90 roadblocks across the country.
This move follows statements from US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, who linked the demonstrations to "narco-terrorism," a top priority for the Trump administration. Paz adopted the term in his Monday statement, asserting that national security is compromised when narco-terrorism and certain actors' priorities diverge from the nation's interests.
However, local journalist Joseph Bouchard highlighted that Paz offered no evidence connecting the roadblocks, marches in cities like La Paz and El Alto, or the broader protest movement to drug trafficking or narco-terrorist activities. The government of the Santa Cruz department, Bolivia's largest region, also described protest organizers as "narcoguerrillas.
" The new law reverses previous strict limitations on declaring a state of emergency, which had ensured certain rights could not be suspended and held the president criminally liable for overstepping. This shift has drawn criticism amid widespread unrest triggered by Paz's decision to end a fuel subsidy after taking office last November, a policy change deeply affecting working people. Some protest groups are calling for Paz's resignation.
Government reports indicate that from May 1 to June 2, ten deaths are attributed to the blockades, 37 people were injured, and 365 arrests were made. Authorities stated that seven of the deaths resulted from blocked medical access but remain under investigation. Hegseth warned that Bolivia "must not allow itself to fall prey to the old status quo of narco-terrorist dominance in the region.
" In response, Paz thanked Hegseth for his "support for democracy" before signing the emergency law. Bouchard expressed skepticism, stating, "I really don't know how anyone could take any of this seriously," after considering the Trump administration's history in Bolivia and Latin America. The article also includes a lengthy appeal from Common Dreams, an independent media outlet, explaining its non-corporate funding model and urging reader donations to sustain its journalism amid intensifying threats from powerful interests
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