23 Mar 2023 | 04:16 PM UTC
Bolivia: Teachers to stage 24-hour strike and related protests nationwide March 24
Teachers' union plan to strike and protest across Bolivia March 24. Transport and business disruptions likely.
Event
The Confederation of Urban Education Workers of Bolivia (Confederacion de Trabajadores en Educacion Urbana de Bolivia, CTEUB) will hold a nationwide strike March 24. As part of the strike, CTEUB-affiliated teachers will not work and will instead hold protest rallies, block highways, and attempt to close international border crossings. Details about protest sites and participation remain unclear.
The strike is likely to cause transport and business disruptions, especially in and around El Alto and La Paz, where CTEUB is particularly strong. Police are likely to deploy to protest locations, and clashes are possible, especially if authorities attempt to forcibly disperse demonstrators and reopen blocked highways.
Context
CTEUB has repeatedly held strikes and protests to demand greater education funding and changes to the national curriculum. On March 22, police deployed teargas at a CTEUB demonstration in La Paz, causing union leaders to announce they would "radicalize" future protests by making them more disruptive.
Advice
Avoid all protests as a precaution. Allow for additional travel time on highways and near borders. Do not attempt to drive through roadblocks; wait for police to dismantle them before proceeding. If violence occurs, leave the area immediately and seek shelter in a non-governmental building. Heed instructions from authorities.
