Bolivia's deepening political crisis entered a dangerous new phase this week as two cabinet ministers resigned, road blockades nationwide nearly doubled in number, and analysts warned of the risk of open confrontations between civilians. The resignations of Defence Minister Marcelo Salinas — replaced by anti-drug official Ernesto Justiniano — and Education Minister Beatriz Garcia mark the third and fourth ministers to fall since the unrest began, underscoring the mounting pressure on President Rodrigo Paz, who took office just six months ago.

Around 100 road blockades have now been reported across Bolivia, up from roughly 12 in early May, spreading to seven of the country's nine departments. The blockades, led by a broad coalition of unions, teachers, miners, indigenous organisations and farmers, have paralysed La Paz and the neighbouring city of El Alto, creating severe shortages of food, medicine and fuel. At least ten people have died since the crisis began — the majority of them patients who could not reach medical care in time, including a 12-year-old girl undergoing cancer treatment. Economic losses have been estimated in the billions of dollars. The government, pressed from both sides, has said it will not rule out declaring a state of emergency or deploying the military, while the national legislature has already approved measures facilitating the use of armed forces to control demonstrations.

The roots of the crisis run deep. Paz, the first right-wing president Bolivia has had in roughly two decades, won the October 2025 election partly by drawing support from indigenous and working-class communities that had traditionally backed the left — a feat linked largely to his vice president, Edman Lara, now an open opponent. Many of those voters feel betrayed: after taking office, Paz moved closer to the business elites of Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia's eastern commercial hub, scrapping a wealth tax and rolling back fuel subsidies without first consulting the Andean communities that had helped elect him. Analysts describe the rupture between Paz and Lara as the moment the president lost his popular base. Former president Evo Morales — who governed from 2006 to 2019 and is currently in hiding while facing criminal charges — has claimed that the unrest is a rebellion against a