Bolivia: Protesters demand President Paz's ouster
May 19, 2026
Anti-government protests intensified in Bolivia on Monday as demonstrators clashed with riot police in La Paz demanding the resignation of President Rodrigo Paz.
Riot police fired tear gas to stop protesters from reaching the capital's main square, while demonstrators hurled stones and explosives.
Thousands of farmers, miners, teachers and members of Indigenous groups have joined weeks-long protests demanding wage increases, economic stability and the resignation of Paz, whose less than six months old administration has struggled to contain Bolivia's worst economic crisis in decades.
The country's year-on-year inflation hit 14% in April.
"We want him to resign because he's incompetent. Bolivia is going through a moment of chaos," 60-year-old farmer Ivan Alarcon told the AFP news agency.
More than 100 arrested, say reports
Protesters swarmed government buildings and set up blockades disrupting fuel and food supplies across the country.
Local media said more than 100 arrests, though authorities have not confirmed a figure. Two demonstrators were reportedly injured, according to the AFP news agency.
The attorney general's office said an arrest warrant had been issued for Mario Argollo, head of Bolivia's largest labor union COB, on charges including terrorism and incitement.
The COB has joined calls for Paz to step down.
What did the government say?
Supporters of former president Evo Morales also marched into La Paz after a seven-day protest trek from Oruro, widening unrest that has blocked highways for nearly two weeks.
Economy Minister Jose Gabriel Espinoza dismissed the protesters as "political operatives seeking to serve as a stepping stone" for "coca leaf grower" Morales to return to power.
The conservative Paz took office less than six months ago after two decades of socialist rule. He ended decades-old fuel subsidies but has struggled to stabilize fuel supplies.
State oil company YPFB said roadblocks had forced the suspension of fuel shipments from its Senkata plant, worsening shortages of fuel, food and medical supplies.
Edited by: Dmytro Hubenko