Nearly 100 roadblocks around the country have the neoliberal agenda of domestic and foreign elites in the grip of the masses of organized Bolivians. From indigenous campesino organizations and trade unions, to mining cooperatives and neighborhood councils, working-class Bolivians have paralyzed the efforts of President Rodrigo Paz to make Bolivia a buffet for corporate interests.

City streets once filled with vehicles and small businesses have turned into massive popular assemblies organized by neighborhood councils. The singular unified demand of the masses: President Rodrigo Paz resign immediately!

The largest trade union federation, Central Obrera Boliviana, has worked in coordination with the social movements over the past several months since Paz’s election in November. The unions and movements immediately announced their rejection of tax cuts for the rich, denounced the end to food and fuel subsidies, and said no to steps to privatize the nationalized resources of Bolivia. They also released demands on May 31 to stop the repression against union leaders and protesters, release those held in detention, to recognize the official union leadership as negotiators, and for the immediate resignation of President Paz.

Wilma Colque, president of a large campesino organization, the Six Federations of the Tropico in Cochabamba, shared her perspective to a gathering of international trade unionists on June 5. The meeting, hosted by the Venezuela trade union federation, Central Bolivariana Socialista Trabajadora/o (CBST), regularly sees union leaders from nearly 30 countries.

Colque lauded “all departments [in the country] on their feet marching in struggle against the privatization of our resources. The people stood up against the stealing of our lithium, our resources. We see what is going on all across Latin America – Argentina, Chile, Perú, these neoliberal dictatorships, making the people poor and the transnationals rich. But in Bolivia, we are anti-imperialist, anti-colonialists, anti-capitalists, we don't want them to be our owners.”

The protests have been met with tear gas and arrests and clear involvement of the U.S.

Former President Evo Morales stated that he received intel from a source within security forces that there was a plan to kidnap or kill him now that the U.S. military is present. The people responded by surrounding his house, and it is reported that workers took over a nearby airport in an effort to prevent a repeat of the U.S. kidnapping of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

Colque added, “We know why the U.S. is here: to massacre the people who are resisting every day. Espionage, infiltrating our spaces, antennas listening to us, intercepting our cellular communications, they are trying to divide us, trying to stop us. They spread lies, disinformation, and make accusations. Tactics we’ve seen before here and elsewhere.”

Colque continued: “It’s clear what has happened. The U.S. lost hegemony around the world and they’re trying to claim trenches in Latin America. They’re going after countries with resources and some advanced technology. But it doesn’t matter if they shoot us, if they kill us, our youth will keep going. Many of us are mothers, we give our life to children, we are the light of the country. To defend our children, we will be disobedient! We have no fear, we are millions, we are free people!”

The willingness of the people to persist amid shortages speaks to the resolve and commitment to the cause. The turmoil has also resulted in the resignation of Defense Minister Marcelo Salinas and Education Minister Beatriz García. Reports speculate that the ministers disagreed with signing a state of emergency that would allow all police and military to use all force to arrest and detain and break up the mobilizations.

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