Bolivia Crisis: Protests Turn Violent, US and Allies Backs President Paz

Bolivia crisis deepens as violent protests erupt over fuel cuts, with the US backing President Paz against Evo Morales' loyalists.

Bolivian protesters clashing with police during mass demonstrations in La Paz

Bolivia is burning. The South American nation is in the grip of a massive political crisis. Weeks of relentless protests have flooded the streets of the capital, La Paz. Demonstrators are united in one loud demand: President Rodrigo Paz must resign.

The anger started with economic frustration but has now exploded into a full-blown national emergency. Paz took office just seven months ago.

He is a pro-business conservative who ended nearly two decades of left-wing rule. His election was initially celebrated, bringing restored diplomatic ties with the United States and regional powers.

Paz moved fast with sweeping economic changes. He cut long-standing fuel subsidies that had drained the government's finances. At first, it seemed to work.

Long petrol lines disappeared after Paz secured fuel imports, and the currency surged on the black market. But the optimism was short-lived. The subsidy cuts sparked fierce and overwhelming backlash across the country.

Now, the streets have turned violent. Multiple protest marches have converged on government offices. Miners armed with dynamite have clashed with police.

Local media report attacks on public buildings and assaults on civilians. In just one day of chaos, over 120 people were detained and at least 11 were injured.

The protests have also become a political battleground. Unions and Indigenous groups allied with former President Evo Morales have formally joined the movement.

His loyal supporters, including tough coca-growing unions, marched through the Andes to the capital. The Paz government accuses Morales of funding the unrest, a claim he strongly denies.

Morales is also fighting a fierce war of words with Washington. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio labeled the protesters as "criminals and drug traffickers." Morales fired back, calling Rubio a liar.

The former president accused Washington of supporting the 2019 political crisis just to seize control of Bolivia's massive lithium reserves.

Washington is not backing down. Rubio made it clear that the United States stands firmly behind Bolivia's constitutional government.

He warned that the US will not allow criminals and drug traffickers to overthrow a democratically elected leader in the region.

The Pentagon echoed this tough stance. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth took to social media to warn that the United States is watching closely.

He vowed continued support for Bolivia in fighting what he called narco-terrorists who profit from death and destruction. The message was crystal clear: any attempt to topple Paz will face American opposition.

The support for Paz goes beyond the United States. A coalition of nations including Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, and nine others joined Washington in rejecting any effort to overthrow the government.

Several Trump-allied governments in Latin America also pledged their support for Paz, condemning the protests as destabilizing.

Back in La Paz, President Paz is trying to hold his country together. He has announced a cabinet reshuffle to calm tensions. His government insists the crisis has two sides: real economic pain on one hand, and a deliberate plot to destroy democracy on the other.

Paz is also preparing new legislation. The bill would give the military the power to crack down on demonstrations and restore order. With strong international backing, he is holding on. But for Bolivia, the end of this crisis is nowhere in sight.