Bolivia's President Paz Rejects Resignation Amid Nationwide Roadblocks and Economic Crisis

Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz Pereira has firmly rejected demands to resign as the country faces a severe political and economic crisis. Over 67 roadblocks have been established across Bolivia, crippling trade and transport, while a 'March for Life to Save Bolivia' caravan advances from Caracollo to La Paz. The protests are led by a coalition including the Bolivian Workers’ Confederation (COB), teachers, peasants, and groups aligned with former President Evo Morales. They oppose Paz’s conservative reform agenda, which includes cutting fuel subsidies and joining the 'Escudo de las Américas' defense framework. In response, Paz framed the unrest as a destabilization attempt, abrogated the controversial Law 1720 on land rights, and called for dialogue. The backdrop features Bolivia’s worst economic crisis in four decades, with 14% inflation, scarce foreign currency, and fuel shortages. Meanwhile, Morales remains under an arrest warrant for alleged minor trafficking. The confrontation represents a structural clash between the new administration’s orthodox stabilization efforts and the mobilized leftist opposition.