Bolivia’s President Paz Proposes 50% Salary Cut Amid Continuing Protests in La Paz

A tense and uncertain calm settled over La Paz on Monday evening following a day of violent clashes between protesters and police, despite Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz pledging to reduce his salary by half in an attempt to quell ongoing demonstrations.

While clashes subsided, protesters showed no signs of withdrawing from the streets, with demonstrations expected to persist throughout the week. Roads leading into La Paz have been blocked by protesters for nearly a month, causing shortages of food, fuel and essential medicines.

Paz, a US-backed center-right leader who has been in office for just six months, has made multiple gestures aimed at ending the unrest, including dismissing an unpopular labor minister and promising greater representation for trade unions and Indigenous groups in policy-making.

On Monday, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva – an ally of Bolivia’s former socialist president Evo Morales – spoke with Paz by phone and expressed solidarity with both the Bolivian government and its people, according to a statement from the Brazilian president’s office.

Lula, a prominent leftist leader in Latin America, called for dialogue between protesters and the government to address differences while offering humanitarian aid. The United States and Argentina have similarly extended assistance to address the shortages.

The demonstrations, initially led by trade unions demanding salary increases, stable fuel supplies and improved economic management, have grown more radicalized since early May.

Increased inflation – reaching 14 percent year-over-year in April – has compounded the economic strain. Speaking in Sucre, President Paz stated he would reduce his salary by 50 percent “as part of his efforts and commitment to the country.”

His monthly salary of approximately 24,000 bolivianos ($3,500) – among the lowest for any Latin American head of state – is roughly eight times the average Bolivian income, according to 2024 International Labor Organization statistics.

Despite this gesture, police clashed with protesters again Monday as thousands of miners, farmers, factory workers, and other groups marched through La Paz for the third time in a week. Demonstrators chanted, “What do we want? For him to resign! When? Now!” as they moved from El Alto, the predominantly Indigenous city adjacent to La Paz.

The confrontations began when protesters attempted to breach police lines near parliament, prompting police to deploy tear gas.

Humanitarian Corridor

Paz’s previous outreach efforts, including dismissing an unpopular labor minister and expanding trade union and Indigenous representation in policymaking, failed to defuse protest tensions.

Saturday saw police engaged in prolonged clashes with demonstrators – armed with stones and sticks – while attempting to establish a “humanitarian corridor” through roadblocks leading to La Paz.

Monday marked Paz’s latest appeal for dialogue with organizations representing protesters, while condemning those resorting to violence.

Paz’s election last year ended two decades of socialist governance that began in the mid-2000s under Morales, Bolivia’s first Indigenous president.

Since assuming office, the 58-year-old Paz – a politically connected economist – has sought to address the root economic crisis triggered by a currency shortage from generous fuel subsidies. However, he has yet to stabilize fuel supplies or curb surging inflation.

Morales, who launched a failed comeback bid last year despite facing criminal charges related to alleged minor trafficking, on Sunday called for new elections within 90 days.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP)

Source link