Key Points
- Bolivia will repeal Supreme Decree 5503 after weeks of protests, but the replacement is expected to keep the end of fuel subsidies.
- Blockades spread to more than 60 points nationwide, with a reported 69 on January 11, disrupting supplies, transport, and commerce.
- The COB lifted roadblocks but remains on “emergency” alert until the new decree is formally signed.
Bolivia’s government and the Central Obrera Boliviana (COB), the country’s main labor federation, reached an initial deal on Sunday, January 11, to repeal Supreme Decree 5503, the mid-December measure that sparked nearly three weeks of marches, strikes, and road blockades.
The agreement was sealed in El Alto, next to La Paz. The government says the decree will be abrogated and replaced within 24 hours, and a mixed commission of officials and mobilized sectors will start drafting immediately.
The key twist is that repeal does not necessarily mean a policy retreat. Reports from the talks indicate the replacement decree will retain “strategic” provisions, including ending fuel subsidies—the heart of the dispute.
Local coverage of the original decree cited pump prices of Bs 6.96 per liter for regular gasoline, Bs 9.80 for diesel, and Bs 11.00 for premium gasoline.
Bolivia protests block fuel, roads, supply chains
Those figures were widely framed as increases of about 86% for gasoline and around 162% for diesel versus subsidized levels. Protests began on December 19 and intensified on January 6 into a national blockade campaign.
Bolivia’s road authority was cited as tracking more than 60 blockade points at the height; one count on January 11 put the number at 69. The stoppages hit freight routes and intercity travel, tightening fuel distribution and pressuring supply chains.
Government negotiators, including Minister of the Presidency José Luis Lupo, met COB leaders including union chief Mario Argollo to trade de-escalation for speed: clear roads now, publish the new decree next.
The COB instructed affiliates to lift blockades immediately but declared a continuing “state of emergency” until the president formally promulgates the replacement text.
The confrontation has also played out online, with clips of marches and barricades circulating on X, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, often tagged #DecretoSupremo5503.