After 10 days of blockade, Bolivia loses 600 million dollars: Evo Morales’ conditions for removing the pickets

The Bolivian government on Wednesday asked protesters supporting former President Evo Morales to lift 10-day road closures that have caused food and fuel shortages in the central Cochabamba region. Moreover, The country has accumulated losses of 600 million dollars due to the blockades.

But Morales influenced the end of the protests because the judges, among them those whoand rejected his eventual presidential nomination– conclude their mandate and call elections for magistrates in the Legislature.

“Out of humanity we ask it an intermediate room so that people stopped at checkpoints, trucks can pass and, in the same way, fuel can reach the different departments,” Jaime Mamani, deputy minister of Social Defense and Controlled Substances, said in a press conference.

The same demand was made by banana growers, poultry farmers and pig farmers, among others, as heavy haulers marched into Santa Cruz, the country’s economic engine. “We can’t take it anymore”said heavy transport leader Juan Yucra.

The government reported Wednesday that in the 10 days of protests the country lost more than $600 million.

Why are they protesting?

Coca growers and farmers linked to Morales began the act of force last week in a sign of rejection of the extension of the functions of the judges of the Judiciary after the Plurinational Constitutional Court (TCP) in December dealt a severe blow to the former president to his intention to run for president next year.

In the markets of La Paz food prices increased product of a deficiency mainly chicken, beef and various vegetables.

This was reported by the government of President Luis Arce airways is trying to mitigate the shortage of products coming from Cochabamba and Santa Cruz. He also reported that he is importing more fuel.

Meanwhile, Morales posted on his X, formerly Twitter, account that “the government must immediately allow judicial elections to be held and the cessation of the functions of the extended magistrates”.

Tuesday reported that the police carried out a “repression against innocent and humble women” in the southern region of Oruro.

In the country there are 24 locks, 20 in the strategic region of Cochabamba which has the main roads connecting the east with the west. Mamani denied there had been a strong crackdown and stressed that points had decreased compared to Tuesday.

Meanwhile, deputies from the governing and opposition parties are working on a bill hold judicial elections, but there is still no information on the continuity of the extended magistrates. At the beginning of the year the judges extended their functions after no agreement was reached in the legislature to hold elections for magistrates.

In Bolivia magistrates are elected at the polls of the Constitutional Court, whose candidates must be previously selected in the Legislative Assembly with two thirds of the votes.