Bolivia’s political tensions are spilling into the cabinet — and fast.
The country’s defense minister has stepped down after weeks of anti-government protests.
Marking the highest-profile resignation yet under President Rodrigo Paz, who is now facing his own calls to quit.
But is this just a reshuffle… or a deeper warning sign?
Paz only took office in November after nearly two decades of leftist rule ended.
But his government’s austerity push and rising cost of living have triggered anger across unions and supporters of former president Evo Morales.
And that anger has moved from speeches to the streets.
Blockades have shut down key routes to La Paz and El Alto, home to around two million people.
One local official estimates the disruption is costing the city about $6.5 million a day.
“Many families live day to day… they also have the right to eat,” said El Alto mayor Eliser Roca, capturing the growing frustration on the ground.
Behind the scenes, the government is scrambling.
Political Crisis Deepens
Defense Minister Marcelo Salinas has resigned, with reports that anti-drug official Ernesto Justiniano could step in.
Education Minister Beatriz García has also quit, adding to the sense of instability.
Protests are escalating. Tires are burning in El Alto. Union leaders accuse Paz of abandoning his electoral base.
“Once he arrived in power, he forgot about his people,” said labor leader Mario Argollo.
The government insists it won’t collapse, rejecting resignation demands as “anti-democratic.”
But with shortages, unrest, and cabinet shakeups piling up, the question now isn’t just who’s resigning next.
It’s how long the system can hold before something gives.
