LA PAZ.—Former Bolivian President Evo Morales, who is subject to an arrest warrant for child abuse, led a march on Wednesday in the department of Cochabamba, joined by farmers and union members from La Paz and El Alto, to demand the resignation of President Rodrigo Paz.
According to the newspaper *El Deber*, Morales led a demonstration organized by the Federation of Rural Women of the Tropics (Fecamtrop), which began in Lauca Ñ—where the former president is living in exile—and ended eight kilometers away in Chimoré. In Chimoré, he delivered a speech in which he even defied the president’s demand that he surrender to the authorities, and made his trip to La Paz contingent on receiving security guarantees.
“The president said at a press conference: ‘If he’s a real man, let Evo come to La Paz.’ If he gives me guarantees, I’ll go there; and if not, if he’s a real man, let him come to Lauca Ñ to discuss social issues,” Morales said.
This rally, called the “Rally to Save Bolivia,” includes representatives from the Trópico Federation, the Carrrasco-Chimoré Federation, and Centrales Unidad, among other organizations in the region.
Although he has already made public appearances on other occasions, this is the first march in which the coca growers’ leader has participated, 41 days into the protests, during which time social organizations aligned with the former president and the Bolivian Workers’ Union (COB) have been blocking roads in La Paz, Cochabamba, Oruro, Chuquisaca, and Santa Cruz.
Protesters chant slogans near a burning object during a demonstration against the government of Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz in La Paz on June 10, 2026. MARVIN RECINOS - AFP Morales stated that to restore peace to the country, the head of state must resign and call for elections within 90 days. Furthermore, one of the leaders declared at the rally that Paz Pereira’s days in office are numbered.
“Members of the military and police, make no mistake—think it over a thousand times. Our organizations stand united,” Morales said. The march concluded with a rally in Chimoré, where the former president will deliver a speech.
Yesterday, Minister of the Interior Marco Oviedo accused Evo Morales of instructing his supporters to seize police stations and units in order to aid narco-terrorism.
“This (situation) reinforces the Bolivian government’s position that we are not experiencing a social conflict with sectors in different regions of our country,” Oviedo initially stated at a press conference.
March to La Paz
At the same time as the march in Cochabamba, thousands of workers marched on Wednesday in the center of Bolivia’s political capital to demand the president’s resignation; he is considering declaring a state of emergency to quell the protests that began five weeks ago.
Protesters march in La Paz on June 10, 2026, to protest against the government of Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz. AIZAR RALDES - AFP “What do we want? Resign!” shouted the farmers, workers, miners, teachers, and transport workers as they marched through the streets of La Paz, the seat of government, amid the sound of firecrackers.
Protesters reject the reform proposals put forward by Paz, who brought an end to 20 years of socialist governments led by Morales (2006–2019) and Luis Arce (2020–2025), as well as the lack of progress in overcoming the country’s worst economic crisis in four decades.
“Some people want to sell off and destroy the country. And as true Bolivians, we won’t let them,” said one of the protesters, Omar Hancco, a 44-year-old miner from Oruro (in the south), who traveled more than 380 kilometers to join the protest.
Wearing ponchos and, in some cases, helmets, the strikers tried to reach Plaza Murillo, where the Government Palace is located, but were dispersed by riot police using tear gas.
Paz, who has been in office for seven months, claimed on Monday that the protests calling for his resignation are being driven by “narco-terrorists” and enacted a law that now allows him to declare a state of emergency.
Such a measure would restrict the freedoms of assembly and movement—which are essential for protesting—and the armed forces could assist the police in clearing dozens of roadblocks that are paralyzing the country’s major cities.
In La Paz and neighboring El Alto, shortages of food, fuel, and medicine are becoming more acute. Prices for meat and vegetables have doubled at markets, and some drivers are sleeping in their cars while waiting in line at gas stations.
According to the government, the economic damage caused by the blockades amounts to more than $1.2 billion.
The main unions involved in the protests have rejected the government's calls for dialogue.
AFP and AP
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