Bolivia’s 90-day state of emergency took effect on Saturday as lawmakers from the ruling party and opposition blocs endorsed President Rodrigo Paz’s decree, easing a crisis that had paralysed the country for seven weeks with road blockades and violent protests. The emergency measure, announced on Friday and ratified by Congress on Saturday, suspends constitutional rights, authorises military deployment to clear barricades, and bans public gatherings, ending a standoff that had left 14 dead and choked supply routes for food, fuel and medicine .

Military engineers began clearing the last major blockades on Saturday morning, using bulldozers to reopen the crucial Santa Cruz–Cochabamba highway, a key artery for food shipments to La Paz and El Alto. Defence Minister General Marina Vargas told reporters that troops would remain deployed until all routes are fully operational and order is restored. “The emergency is necessary to prevent further loss of life and to guarantee the delivery of essential goods,” Vargas said, flanked by army engineers working under heavy police escort .

The crisis erupted on 1 May after Paz’s government cut fuel subsidies, triggering nationwide protests led by the Central Bolivian Workers’ Union (COB), transport cooperatives and Indigenous organisations. Blockades spread across six departments, halting intercity traffic for 51 consecutive days and forcing hospitals to ration oxygen and dialysis supplies. At least 14 civilians died in clashes with security forces, while hundreds were injured, according to local human-rights monitors cited by *Público* .

Paz had attempted to negotiate a truce with COB leader Orlando Gutiérrez, but the agreement collapsed on Thursday when protesters refused to lift blockades until the subsidy cuts were fully reversed. The emergency decree, which suspends constitutional guarantees for 90 days, was approved by Congress late on Saturday after tense negotiations, with opposition lawmakers accusing Paz of using the crisis to consolidate power .

International travel advisories were issued on Saturday, warning citizens against non-essential travel to Bolivia. Romania’s foreign ministry urged its nationals to leave the country immediately, citing “violent protests, roadblocks and restricted movement” .

Analysts warn that while the emergency may restore supply chains, it risks deepening political polarisation. “This is a moment of maximum tension,” said political scientist Carla Mendoza of the Universidad Mayor de San Andrés. “The government has bought time, but the underlying grievances over living costs and democratic accountability remain unresolved.”

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Bolivia crisis begins to ease after lawmakers back state of emergency reut.rs/4enMXVx

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