Bolivia’s high-altitude metropolis on the Altiplano
Mass protests by miners, farmers, teachers and unions have paralysed La Paz and El Alto, blocking roads and causing shortages of fuel, food and medicine. Clashes with police have involved tear gas, dynamite blasts and arrests. President Rodrigo Paz has reshuffled his cabinet and deployed security forces while international aid and diplomatic tensions are rising.
Bolivia has moved to stabilize the crisis sparked by weeks of road blockades. A state of emergency allows military support to police, roadways are being cleared, and talks continue with labor unions as protests shift and some blocks lift.