Bolivia’s Leader Expands Emergency Powers to Tackle Nationwide Blockades

(MENAFN) Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz on Monday enacted new legislation governing states of emergency, granting the government broader powers as the country continues to grapple with extensive highway blockades that have disrupted transportation and economic activity for weeks.

According to reports, the Law on the Regulation of States of Emergency moved rapidly through the legislative process and received final approval from the Chamber of Deputies early Sunday after a marathon 15-hour session that lasted through the night.

The new law creates a legal structure for the implementation of emergency measures during periods of severe domestic instability. While responsibility for enforcement remains primarily with the police, the legislation allows for limited military involvement to support operations aimed at reopening blocked transport routes and critical transit points.

Speaking at a press conference on Monday, which marked seven months since taking office, Paz defended the expansion of executive powers and linked the ongoing unrest to broader security concerns.

“Security is threatened when narcoterrorism and the priorities of certain sectors hostile to our democracy, our Constitution and free development place their own interests above those of Bolivian society,” he declared.

According to reports, the government argues that the new legal framework is necessary to restore mobility, maintain public order and respond more effectively to disruptions affecting the country’s transportation network.

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