Bolivia’s Paz Signs Emergency Law as Tear Gas and Firecrackers Fill Cochabamba’s Streets (opens in new tab)

Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz on Monday signed legislation establishing the legal framework for declaring a state of emergency — but stopped short of invoking one — as clashes between protesters and police erupted in Cochabamba for the 39th consecutive day of nationwide road blockades. The signing marks the sharpest legal escalation yet in a crisis that has severed supply routes to La Paz and raised the specter of a military crackdown not seen since 37 people died under the 2019 Áñez emergency.