Bolivia: Nationwide strike planned for December 15

Event

Representatives of unions from 24 sectors in Santa Cruz de la Sierra are calling for a nationwide strike on Friday, December 15. As of December 9, labor organizations in Cochabamba and Potosí had already stated that they will join in the strike. Additionally, the unions will hold a protest march in Santa Cruz on December 15 to demand that the Constitutional Court (TCP) reverse its decision to allow President Evo Morales to run for a fourth consecutive term.

The strike is expected to cause service disruptions in a number of industries, and may affect bus and taxi services. Violence between demonstrators and police cannot be ruled out. 

Context

On November 29, the TCP ruled that incumbent President Evo Morales can run for a fourth consecutive term in elections scheduled for 2019. The decision annulled the “no” result of a constitutional referendum held in February 2016, which asked whether to remove presidential term limits; Morales had claimed the referendum failed due to an illegal smear campaign. The constitution had already been amended once before to allow Morales to run for a third term.

Strikes and protests are not rare - particularly in the cities of La Paz, Potosí, Cochabamba, Santa Cruz, and Oruro - and can be highly disruptive to daily life. Bolivian civic groups and unions frequently erect roadblocks as a form of protest. Violence, in the form of clashes between protesters and security forces, often breaks out at roadblocks.

Advice

Individuals in Bolivia are advised to keep abreast of the sociopolitical climate in the coming days, anticipate transportation disruptions on December 15, and avoid all protests as a precaution.