Thousands of Bolivian miners marched through downtown La Paz, clashing with police on Thursday as the protests against President Rodrigo Paz entered a second week. Small charges of dynamite were set off by some demonstrators — a tactic that has become increasingly common amid nationwide unrest — and police fired tear gas to disperse parts of the crowd.
The miners began their march pressing labor demands, access to explosives, fuel and other grievances, but their slogans shifted toward calls for President Paz to step down. The demonstrations come as blockades and marches by a range of groups, including schoolteachers, transport workers and indigenous communities, have paralyzed much of the capital in recent days.
Bolivia is facing a deepening economic crisis marked by a shortage of US dollars and a drop in energy production. The current wave of protests was sparked when farmers demanded repeal of a law that would have allowed land to be used as mortgage collateral. Although President Paz signed a decree annulling the law on Wednesday, demonstrations have continued and spread.
Paz, a centrist who took office six months ago after campaigning on promises to revive the economy with market-oriented reforms, has faced growing criticism as the unrest persists.
Ahead of the clashes on Thursday, a delegation of roughly 20 miners met with the president at the presidential palace, and Paz convened several ministers for emergency talks. Economy Minister Jose Gabriel Espinoza said the government remained open to dialogue.
Authorities reported multiple blockades across the country — as of Tuesday there were some 67 highway blockades — which have disrupted supply chains and caused shortages of food, goods and medicines for hospitals. The mix of sectoral demands and wider political anger has sustained protests despite the government’s repeal of the contested law.
Negotiations and talks continue amid mounting pressure on the administration to address both the immediate disruptions and the broader economic challenges driving the unrest.