Morales is waiting in the wings as Bolivia crisis tests Trump's government

* Morales keeps in regular contact with protest leaders

Paz negotiates with fragile union leaders

* La Paz restaurateurs say 42% of venues closed, hospitals short on painkillers

By Cassandra Garrison

LA PAZ, 19 June - Evo Morales watches and waits in the forests of Bolivia's Chapare Region.

The former president, a leftist, is still a strong force from his rural stronghold. 50 days of road blockades by indigenous and labor unions have brought the country to a standstill, killed at least 14, and pushed the center-right government led by Rodrigo Paz close to collapse.

In an exclusive video-link interview, Morales said he had been in contact with protesters on a regular basis and that the growing discontent of the public has "made" him consider a return into politics, even though he claims he's not actively campaigning.

Blockades on key roads have left trucks stranded, and fuel, food, and medical supplies are stifled.

Unrest began in Paz after the abrupt decision to cut long-standing fuel subsides to reduce the budget in the volatile lithium-powerhouse amid a growing dollar crunch, and ongoing discussions with the International Monetary Fund about a rescue agreement.

Paz changed fuel prices and reversed unpopular land reforms, but protests turned into wider discontent. The unions want wage increases, an end to fuel shortages and dollar shortages and Paz’s resignation.

Paz, who assumed office in November 2025, with the backing from President Donald Trump, as part of a larger strategy to increase U.S. Influence in the hemisphere has blamed Morales, a towering leftist figure who governed for almost 14 years, for stoking unrest.

Andres Arauz, from the Center for Economic & Policy Research, says that the government is trying to divert attention from the social problems on the ground by portraying Morales in the worst possible light. Paz "is trying to spin it and frame it as a political confrontation and wait it out," said he. Morales is wanted on charges of trafficking in minors, which are linked to allegations that he fathered an infant with a teenage girl while he was president. Morales calls the accusations "fabricated" and politically motivated.

In an interview with he denied that he played a role in inciting dissent. He said the "indigenous rebel" was driven by the economic hardship.

Morales stated that "in my experience as a past president, when there is conflict, the state is at fault if the issue is a social request." He said Paz made "unfulfilled promises."

Morales' presence looms over Paz’s increasingly fragile talks to remove the blockades.

Paz attempted to strike a conciliation tone when he began talks with union leaders in La Paz on Wednesday.

He said that "we must build the nation but we have build it by accepting different ways of thinking," calling on both sides to end their mistrust.

A CITY on the Edge

La Paz is a high-altitude city where a siege mentality is in full swing. Restaurants are empty, hospitals have run out of medication and supermarkets shut off lights at meat counters that were sold out.

Pamela Espada is a regional manager of a supermarket. She described how she must fly meat in from Santa Cruz, and that she wakes up at 2 am to get eggs.

Since the blockades began, the price of chicken and tomatoes has increased by 70%.

The ripple effect has affected the entire city's economy. Ernesto Olivares is the head of the Gastronomic Association of La Paz. He said that 42% of restaurants have had to close. He said that "the exhaustion had reached its limit." "La Paz has been taken hostage by the politics."

Hospitals are also affected by the crisis. The blockades have rendered medical transfers almost impossible, leaving many patients without treatment.

Cancer patients and their loved ones gathered at La Paz’s main public hospital to chant "We want life!"

Erika Alvarez's brother, who is fighting cancer in Oruro (a mining area about 225 km south of La Paz), broke down into?tears. "They told me he needed chemo but there was nothing in Oruro. There were no medicines." "I cannot bring my brother to this country because of the political issues, these blockades."

Rosario Calle is the president of Association of Cancer Patients and Families. She said that she has heard of patients who died because they did not receive care on time, particularly in rural areas.

In the capital there is a shortage of essential painkillers such as morphine and tramadol.

Calle stated, "They cry and they do not know how to soothe their pain." What we need are solutions. "Enough is enough."

Morales wants Paz to step down and for new elections to take place. He said the standoff may reach a breaking point, if his party is excluded from future elections. However, he insisted that he does not support this escalation.

He said, "If they do not want it through votes, then it will be with bullets."

(source: Reuters)