What Is Driving the Unrest
Bolivia is facing a widening wave of protests that has moved beyond a single grievance and into a broader challenge to President Rodrigo Paz, who took office six months ago. Fires, fireworks and graffiti against the government have filled central La Paz, including Plaza Murillo, the symbolic heart of Bolivia’s political power. The unrest has spread across sectors and regions, disrupting daily life and intensifying pressure on the administration.
The demonstrations now combine demands from campesino groups, workers, teachers and transport unions, with some protest leaders openly calling for Paz’s resignation. The government says former president Evo Morales is behind the turmoil, a claim he denies. Morales was declared in contempt of court on May 11 after failing to appear at the start of a trial over alleged aggravated trafficking of persons, adding another layer of political tension to an already volatile moment.
Land Reform Sparked the First Blockades
The first major protests began in late April after Paz announced a land reform plan that would allow small rural properties to be converted into medium-sized holdings, with the owner’s voluntary request. The government argued that the measure would help rural landowners use property as collateral to obtain credit and stimulate investment in the countryside.
Campesino organizations saw the move differently. They feared it could open the door to land concentration and benefit larger agricultural interests. The Federation of Campesinos Túpac Katari, backed by the Central Obrera Boliviana, helped organize road blockades at more than 30 points, choking transport routes and helping to paralyze the country. Paz later scrapped the initiative, saying in a video that the law no longer existed.
Inflation, Wages and Daily Survival
The protests have also tapped into frustration over the cost of living. Teachers marched in April demanding higher pay in a country where inflation remains a central concern. Bolivia ended 2025 with inflation of 20%, one of the highest levels in recent years, and prices have remained a political flashpoint even as the recent trend has eased somewhat.
Paz campaigned on restoring price stability, but the pressure on household budgets remains intense. For many Bolivians, wages have not kept pace with rising costs, and that disconnect has helped turn a policy dispute into a broader social movement. After weeks of negotiations, the Education Ministry said it reached an agreement with teachers that included a bonus, and the educators said they would suspend their protests. The wider unrest, however, continued to spread.
Fuel Shortages Deepen the Crisis
One of the most visible grievances is fuel. After Paz ended subsidies inherited from the previous government, transport workers and ordinary drivers complained about higher prices and the quality of gasoline being sold. Critics have described it as “gasolina basura,” arguing that it damages engines and fails to meet standards.
Researchers at the Chemistry Institute of the Universidad Mayor de San Andrés examined fuel samples and concluded that the gasolines tested did not meet quality standards. Transport unions have called strikes over supply concerns, while road blockades have compounded shortages of food, medicines and fuel. In La Paz, the city government even suspended garbage collection temporarily because of fuel shortages, a sign of how quickly the crisis has reached basic public services.
Constitutional Reform Raises Stakes
On May 9, Paz announced a commission to pursue a partial constitutional reform aimed at attracting investment. The 2009 constitution, approved during Evo Morales’s presidency, redefined Bolivia as a plurinational state and placed strong emphasis on public control over natural resources. Any attempt to change that framework, especially in sectors such as hydrocarbons and mining, is likely to trigger resistance from social movements that see it as a step toward privatization.
Paz has rejected that accusation, insisting that his government does not want privatization or sudden tariff hikes. Still, the protests show how quickly dissatisfaction has hardened into a national confrontation. For Bolivia, the coming weeks will test whether the government can calm the streets, restore supplies and regain control of the political agenda before the unrest becomes even more entrenched.