Police, army move to clear Bolivia blockade as clashes leave dozens injured
A joint operation by Bolivian police and armed forces to clear a major road blockade in the town of San Julian, in Santa Cruz department, left at least two police officers wounded by gunfire and dozens of others injured on Saturday, authorities said.
Footage from the scene showed riot police, soldiers and members of the Union Juvenil Crucenista (UJC) confronting protesters who had blocked the highway with burning tyres and barricades. Tear gas was fired as clashes erupted along the strategic route.
Security forces launched the operation in the early hours of the morning to reopen the highway linking Santa Cruz with Beni and western Bolivia, a key corridor for the transport of goods and supplies.
Productive Development Minister Oscar Mario Justiniano Pinto defended the intervention, describing San Julian as a critical route for the movement of food, fuel, medicine and oxygen.
“That is why a determination was made based on the critical evaluations that are currently available regarding supply,” Justiniano said. “A joint action between the Police and the Army has determined to enter this area,” he told Viory.
He accused “radical groups with purely political interests” of maintaining the blockades despite government efforts to engage in dialogue with protest leaders.
According to Justiniano, the operation aims to restore traffic, recover control of the area and allow residents and businesses to resume transporting goods.
The unrest comes amid five weeks of protests and road blockades across Bolivia, where demonstrators are demanding the resignation of President Rodrigo Paz.
According to the Ombudsman’s Office, the protests have left at least 10 people dead, 37 injured and more than 100 facing legal proceedings. Authorities have also reported that seven people died after delays or an inability to access medical care due to the blockades.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
