STORY: :: Bolivia's unrest intensifies as miners demand President Rodrigo Paz's resignation
:: La Paz, Bolivia / May 18, 2026
:: Miners demand greater access to explosives and fuel, as well as revisions to contracts and the implementation of mining regulations
Miners made up a large part of the protesters, but they were also joined by farmers and other workers.
President Rodrigo Paz, a centrist who won a resounding electoral victory last year on promises of market-friendly reforms, now faces a mounting political challenge just months into his term.
Bolivia's economic crisis, resulting from declining energy production and a shortage of U.S. dollars, is the worst the country has seen in decades. Fuel shortages are also widespread across the country, following a presidential decree in December 2025 that ended national fuel subsidies, leading to much higher gasoline prices.
