Bolivia Paralyzed by Road Blockades... Parliament Passes Law Allowing Military Deployment

The Bolivian parliament has passed an emergency law allowing the deployment of the military in response to prolonged anti-government protests. As major roads remain blocked, paralyzing logistics and causing ongoing shortages of food and medicine, the government has established a legal basis for a hardline response.

Reuters Yonhap News

According to Bolivian media outlets including El Deber on the 7th (local time), the Bolivian lower house approved the "Emergency Regulation Law" after more than 13 hours of heated debate and sent it to the executive branch. Once President Rodrigo Paz promulgates the bill, the government will be able to immediately declare a state of emergency and deploy the military to disperse protesters.

The core of the law is to grant immunity to the military and police during the suppression process following the declaration of a state of emergency. This is a follow-up measure after the abolition of the Emergency Restriction Law at the end of last month.

Some members of the opposition strongly objected. There was criticism that the law effectively grants the military a "license to kill." However, the government and the ruling party pushed the bill through, and it could not be stopped.

In Bolivia, supporters of former President Evo Morales, as well as labor and farmers' organizations, have been staging anti-government protests for over a month. They have occupied more than 100 major roads nationwide, demanding the resignation of President Paz, who is pursuing pro-market reforms. As the road blockades drag on, disruptions to the supply of food and medicine have become increasingly severe, especially in the country's major cities.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.