Protests in Bolivia

The Society for Threatened Peoples (STP) welcomes the Bolivian government's decision to revise its controversial economic policy package and repeal the corresponding decree. The decision was preceded by weeks of protests by social organizations, trade unions, and indigenous actors led by the COB trade union federation.

The mobilizations were not fundamentally directed against economic policy adjustments. Broad sections of society accepted the abolition of fuel subsidies as a painful but understandable step in view of the state's debt and previous acute supply bottlenecks.

"The protests were not an expression of obstruction, but of responsibility. The social movements were willing to compromise – but not to accept unconstitutional changes under the guise of economic necessity. For the time being, they have prevented the establishment of procedures that violate human rights in order to enable faster investment," explains Jan Königshausen, Advisor on Indigenous Peoples at the Society for Threatened Peoples.

This is because the original decree went far beyond the issue of fuel subsidies. It was intended to enable investment with accelerated approval procedures and positive administrative silence. According to the decree, projects would automatically be considered approved if authorities did not respond within the deadline. Key decisions would thus have been shifted from parliament to the executive branch. "This deregulation would have weakened state control functions and undermined constitutionally guaranteed rights. Indigenous territories and protected areas would have been particularly affected, as strategic investments in mining, infrastructure, energy, and agro-industry would have been made possible without guaranteeing the involvement of indigenous communities,“ said Königshausen. The decree contradicted both the constitution and national and international human rights standards.

”The withdrawal of the decree opens up the opportunity for genuine political dialogue. However, immediately after the negotiations, President Rodrigo Paz defamed large sections of the protesters and once again held out the prospect of decrees instead of choosing the parliamentary route. Particularly worrying is the president's derogatory and confrontational style of communication, which discredits social protests and civil society organizations and exacerbates social polarization," said Königshausen.

The Society for Threatened Peoples calls on the Bolivian government to honor its commitments, involve parliament, and negotiate necessary reforms transparently, democratically, and with broad social participation in parliament. The government must also ensure that indigenous territories are protected from unlawful exploitation.

This press release was translated from German to English using AI. If you come across errors or ambiguities, please contact us at presse@gfbv.de.