Workers’ Union holds protests against removal of fuel subsidy in Bolivia

The Bolivian Workers’ Center (COB), the largest union entity in the country, decided this Thursday to maintain its protests against the decree that withdrew the subsidy on fuels, including an indefinite strike that is currently only being carried out by miners who work for the State. In a meeting held this afternoon in La Paz, the unions grouped in the COB decided to “continue with the mobilization, with the indefinite staggered general strike,” the top leader of the union entity, the miner Mario Argollo, told the media. The unions that have been demonstrating daily since Monday in La Paz, mostly miners, will remain in this city, which is the seat of the Government and the Executive of Bolivia, and will continue their protests even “despite the holidays” for the end-of-year festivities, he indicated.

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According to Argollo, it was also defined that there will be marches in the nine regions and “it has been determined to socialize this decree even more” so that the population understands that it is “harmful” for workers and “for the country’s economy”, because, as he said, it will serve to “alienate” the country’s natural resources. Before the meeting, in which the impact of the demonstrations was evaluated, the union members marched again against the decree, although in fewer numbers than in the previous days. The COB, which was a political ally of the governments of Evo Morales (2006-2019) and Luis Arce (2020-2025), called for a general and indefinite strike starting Monday, which is only being observed by miners who work for the State. Other sectors, such as transporters, merchants, and miners operating under the cooperative system, ceased their protests after reaching agreements with the Executive, while the COB’s marches have been rejected by the population in La Paz.