LA PAZ, May 14 – Explosions were heard during violent clashes in La Paz on Thursday during a march by mining groups calling for the resignation of President Rodrigo Paz.
The demonstrators, who a Reuters witness saw throwing what appeared to be dynamite sticks, confronted police as they tried to enter Plaza Murillo, the city’s central square.
Local miners are demanding greater access to explosives and fuel, as well as revisions to contracts and the implementation of mining regulations.
Six months after Paz’s inauguration following a resounding electoral victory, Bolivia is facing a deepening economic and fuel crisis, aggravated by a shortage of U.S. dollars and falling domestic energy production, while social unrest grows with protests and mounting tensions involving mining, farming and other union-aligned groups.
Government officials have blamed the opposition for stoking protests. REUTERS