POLITICS · BOLIVIA
Key Facts
- —The country Bolivia, a landlocked South American country with large lithium and gas reserves. President Rodrigo Paz has governed since 8 November 2025.
- —Why it matters Groups including those loyal to former president Evo Morales blocked roads for 53 days in May and June, El Día reported, cutting supply routes and hurting the economy.
- —Why now On Sunday 11 October, Morales-aligned leaders confirmed staggered protests and a march on La Paz from Tuesday 13 October, despite a state of exception.
- —What happened Police deployed at four points on Cochabamba’s highways. President Paz said on Sunday that people who call for blockades are “traitors”.
- —The numbers The march starts on 13 October. The COB union federation meets on 15 October. A state of exception, extended for 90 days in September, restricts road blockades.
- —What it means for you Travellers and shippers on routes linking La Paz, Cochabamba and Santa Cruz should expect checkpoints and possible delays from Tuesday.
- —Still open Where the march starts, how many people join, and whether the main union federation or peasant unions add their own protests.
Supporters of former Bolivian president Evo Morales will start a Bolivia march on the seat of government, La Paz, on Tuesday 13 October. They confirmed the plan on Sunday 11 October, despite a state of exception that bans road blockades. For US investors and travellers, it is the first big test of whether Bolivia can avoid a repeat of this year’s long highway shutdowns.
Police have already taken up positions on key highways in Cochabamba department, Morales’s political base. President Rodrigo Paz, who took office on 8 November 2025, said on Sunday that anyone who calls for a blockade “is asking for death”.
The protest targets Paz’s economic measures. These include a decree that removes the diesel subsidy and a plan to close or sell loss-making state companies, Visión 360 and Red Uno reported.
What the Morales Camp Announced
Franco García, president of the Coordinadora Urbana Popular and a leader of the Evo Pueblo movement in Cochabamba, said the government’s deadline had expired. “We will see each other in the streets,” he said, according to Visión 360. He said peasant federations from all nine departments would join.
Jerson Murillo, a peasant union leader aligned with Morales, ruled out talks. “We are marching from the 13th. We are not going to greet or talk with the government. I already warned, we are going to remove it,” he said, according to Los Tiempos and Unitel.
Murillo did not say where the Bolivia march will begin. He named Caracollo, Patacamaya and La Huachaca as possible starting points on the Altiplano highway to La Paz. Organisers told Red Uno the protests would be staggered and peaceful.
Morales, Bolivia’s president from 2006 to 2019, has his base in the Chapare coca-growing region of Cochabamba. He faces an arrest order linked to earlier protests, which he rejects, Unitel reported. For background, see Bolivia Seeks Regional Help on 2 Evo Morales Warrants.
How the Government and Police Responded
In an interview with state media published on Sunday, Paz said blockades starve hospitals of oxygen, push up food prices and stop exports. “Those are not compatriots, those are traitors,” he said, according to Unitel.
Henry Ontiveros, the police commander for Cochabamba department, said officers were posted on all bridges and access roads to the city. Police deployed at Parotani, Suticollo, the Vacas junction and the Huayllani bridge, on the routes west to La Paz and east to Santa Cruz, Visión 360 reported.
The state of exception was first declared after the May and June blockades. It was extended for 90 days in September with the support of the Legislative Assembly, El Día reported. It lets the armed forces help the police keep roads open. For background on police equipment, see Bolivia Police Get US Riot Gear on 9 October.
Other Groups Weigh Their Own Protests
The Morales camp is not the only group unhappy with the diesel price rise. The Central Obrera Boliviana (COB), the country’s main trade-union federation, called a national meeting in Cochabamba for Thursday 15 October to analyse “the current situation”, El Día reported.
A faction of the CSUTCB, the main peasant confederation, met on Saturday night. It rejected the diesel price rise and called for unity among rival leaders before deciding on any action, El Día reported, citing a Vos TV report.
At a weekend meeting of Runasur, a regional network of left-wing movements, in Villa Tunari, Morales also attacked the Shield of the Americas. That is the anti-drug cooperation alliance promoted by US President Donald Trump. Morales compared it to Plan Condor, the campaign of repression run by South American military regimes in the 1970s and 1980s, Visión 360 reported.
What It Means for You
Anyone travelling overland in Bolivia this week should check road conditions daily. The highways linking La Paz, Oruro, Cochabamba and Santa Cruz are the most exposed. Flights between the main cities avoid the roads if protests grow.
For investors, the Bolivia march is a test of Paz’s reform plan, which includes ending the diesel subsidy. A short, peaceful march would suggest the state of exception is working. Weeks of blockades would hit exports, food supply and fuel distribution again. For the fuel context, see Bolivia Keeps Petrol Subsidy Until January Review.
The government has warned it will not allow new pressure measures, Los Tiempos reported, and police say they will keep the main roads open.
What Is Not Known
It is not known how many people will join, or from which town the march will leave. Organisers have not given an expected turnout.
It is unclear whether the COB or the peasant unions will join on Thursday or later. The government has not said how it would respond if roads are blocked, beyond enforcing the state of exception. A US statement on the blockades reported by Bolivian media could not be checked against the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does the Bolivia march by Morales supporters start?
Groups loyal to former president Evo Morales say staggered protests and a march on La Paz begin on Tuesday 13 October. The starting point has not been confirmed.
What does Bolivia’s state of exception allow?
It restricts road blockades and lets the armed forces support the police in keeping roads open. It was extended for 90 days in September, El Día reported.
Is it safe to travel by road in Bolivia this week?
Delays and checkpoints are possible on highways linking La Paz, Oruro, Cochabamba and Santa Cruz. Travellers should check road conditions daily and consider flights.
Sources: Visión 360, 11 October; Los Tiempos, 11 October; Unitel, Paz interview; Unitel, police deployment; El Día; Red Uno; Visión 360, Runasur; Teleamazonas, Paz inauguration.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief