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Politics
May 19, 2026
Analyzed by Llama- 4 Scout 17B 16E Instruct

Clashes Erupt in Bolivia as Morales Supporters March on Capital

AI Summary
Bolivian security forces clashed with supporters of ex-President Evo Morales as they marched into the capital, La Paz, as part of a nationwide protest movement fueled by the country's worst economic crisis in a generation.

The Confrontation in La Paz

Bolivian security forces have clashed with followers of ex-President Evo Morales as they marched into the capital as part of a nationwide protest movement fuelled by the nation’s worst economic crisis in a generation.

Protesters' Demands and Actions

After a six-day march through the Andes, thousands of Morales’s supporters, some brandishing dynamite sticks and slingshots, converged on the capital, La Paz, on Monday, where they were met by riot police. Dynamite blasts rumbled downtown. Security forces fired back with canisters of tear gas that wafted over demonstrators who called for the president’s resignation just six months into his tenure. “Homeland or death, we will win!” they chanted.

Economic Crisis and Government Response

Rallies and roadblocks that started over two weeks ago have become the biggest challenge so far to President Rodrigo Paz, Bolivia’s first conservative leader after nearly two decades of socialist governance, and have provoked shortages across the country. Paz came to office last year as a wave of conservative leaders allied with the administration of President Donald Trump in the United States swept Latin America. Inheriting the nation’s most severe economic crisis in 40 years, Paz has struggled to replenish Bolivia’s scarce fuel, restrain its enormous budget deficit and resolve its shortage of US dollars, while also placating the powerful Morales-linked groups that could disrupt his presidency.

International Support and Condemnation

Paz accuses Morales of orchestrating the unrest to undermine his administration, and the president has seen support roll in from neighbouring states. Eight allied Latin American governments, from Argentina to Panama, released a joint statement last week rejecting “any action aimed at destabilizing the democratic order”. The US Department of State added to the condemnation on Sunday, saying it supports Paz’s efforts “to restore order for the peace, security, and stability of the Bolivian people”.