Bolivia is facing mass protests as a deepening fuel crisis fuels frustration against President Luis Arce’s government. Indigenous groups and transport workers have taken to the streets, accusing authorities of corruption and mismanagement, further straining the economy.
The capital, La Paz, has become the epicenter of tensions, with indigenous activists and striking transport workers clashing with police near the presidential palace. The Red Ponchos, a prominent Aymara indigenous group, are leading the demonstrations, demanding immediate government action to address the fuel shortage, which is crippling Bolivia’s transport and agriculture sectors.
“Arce, where’s the money?” chanted one indigenous protester, expressing widespread frustration over the government’s handling of the crisis.
The Red Ponchos have accused President Arce of failing to uphold his promises to the people. Their leaders claim that government mismanagement has left communities without the fuel necessary for daily survival.
David Mamani, a leader of the Red Ponchos, voiced his frustration:
“We’re enclosing Murillo Square and the government palace so that they respond to our demands. This government has become a dictatorship, corrupt, inoperative, and rotten with betrayal.”
Another leader, Enrique Mamani, speaking in Aymara, added:
“Our president doesn’t know how to govern. He must go. We are starving because there’s no fuel. Our farming machinery has come to a halt.”
The fuel crisis has left thousands of transport workers stranded, unable to work. Public service drivers report losing their income due to long queues at gas stations.
Gonzalo Aruquipa, a public service driver, shared his ordeal:
“I queued in a gas station for two days. I lost my earnings, I can’t feed my family, and I can’t pay my bank debt. I am very angry.”
The impact extends beyond the transport sector. Bolivia’s agricultural industry is also suffering, with farmers unable to harvest crops due to fuel shortages. Experts warn of an impending food crisis if the situation is not resolved soon.
President Luis Arce has responded to the growing unrest by announcing that millions of liters of fuel had arrived from Chile and were being distributed. However, many citizens remain skeptical, as the shortages persist and Bolivia’s foreign currency reserves continue to dwindle.
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham faces an early test of his climate commitments as his government weighs whether to approve two major North Sea oil and ...
Iran will host senior officials from the five Caspian Sea littoral states at a conference in Tehran on 23 September, aimed at strengthening regional c...
U.S. President Donald Trump has called for Iran to pay compensation for decades of deaths and damage, adding a new demand to peace talks as Tehran see...
One hundred years after the First World War and more than eighty years after the devastation of the Second World War gave rise to the United Nations, humanity once again finds itself living in an age of permanent crisis.
For months, efforts to secure the Red Sea have focused on what is happening in the water. Naval deployments have increased, governments have expanded maritime cooperation and shipping companies have adapted to persistent security threats.
Flights arriving at Catania airport in eastern Sicily were suspended after volcanic ash from a new eruption of Mount Etna drifted into the airspace around the airport, disrupting operations at one of Italy’s busiest aviation hubs.
Greenland has issued a “strong warning” to a U.S. oil company linked to President Donald Trump after drilling equipment was brought ashore without the required government approvals, according to British media.
Iran said it was nearing a final pact with Oman defining new shipping lanes between them through the Strait of Hormuz but repeated that the U.S. must meet other conditions.
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham faces an early test of his climate commitments as his government weighs whether to approve two major North Sea oil and gas projects, Rosebank and Jackdaw.
Europe is facing more frequent and prolonged extreme heat, with climate change making heatwaves increasingly intense and widespread, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) warned on Tuesday.
Russia's northern NATO neighbours are tightening security around critical infrastructure amid growing concern that Moscow could stage a “false flag” attack using Ukrainian drones.
Kyrgyzstan has proposed hosting part of Russian e-commerce giant Wildberries’ warehouse and logistics network, aiming to reduce supply-chain risks and strengthen trade with Russia.
North Korea has deployed troops, weapons and now, according to a Ukrainian intelligence official, a missile unit to support Russia's war against Ukraine, marking Pyongyang's most significant involvement in a war since the 1950s.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment