State of Emergency declared.
Bolivia's Paz declares state of emergency to break protest gridlockLA PAZ, June 20 (Reuters) - Bolivia’s political and social crisis intensified on Saturday as President Rodrigo Paz declared a state of emergency, enabling wider military deployment to clear blockades and restore order amid protests that have brought the economy to a halt over the past 50 days.
Addressing the nation early Saturday morning, Paz said anti-government blockades were no longer a social protest but an organized attempt to destabilize Bolivia's democracy.
The Reuters Inside Track newsletter is your essential guide during the World Cup. Sign up here.
"There comes a moment when failing to act ceases to be prudence and becomes irresponsibility. And that moment has arrived," Paz said, promising the measure would protect citizens and ensure the flow of essential goods, while warning that those continuing disruptions would face legal consequences.
Some opposition lawmakers have warned the emergency measure could further ratchet up tensions, while analysts and legal experts have also said the emergency powers could deepen unrest if they lack public support and fail to address underlying causes of protests.
Paz made the announcement just hours after he unveiled a deal struck on Friday with the main union, the Bolivian Workers’ Confederation (COB), that aimed to ease tension.
However, many roads connecting the South American nation's main production center are under the control of rural associations aligned with Morales, who were not a part of the negotiations and are continuing to protest mainly in the area of Cochabamba.
Post too long. Click here to view the full text.