Social sectors mobilize in Cochabamba against “diesel” and the economic policies of Paz

Published at: 04/09/2026 02:18 PM

Various social organizations, peasant unions and popular movements mobilized this Friday in the city of Cochabamba, Bolivia to express their rejection of the increase in fuel prices, called “diesel”, and the recent neoliberal reforms implemented by the Government of President Rodrigo Paz. Despite the validity of the state of emergency decreed by the Executive, the main march took place peacefully in defense of the popular economy and national sovereignty.

The protest focused its demands on the immediate repeal of Supreme Decree 5676, a regulation that set the price of a liter of diesel at 18 Bolivians for large consumers. Leaders of the Six Federations of the Tropics of Cochabamba and representatives of the agricultural sector reported that this measure has caused a direct increase in agricultural production, immediately impacting transportation costs and the value of food in the basic family basket.

The demonstrators also repudiated the package of adjustment measures promoted by the central administration, which contemplates the reorganization of the state structure through the elimination of ministries and the opening up to privatization processes in key sectors. The spokespersons for the mobilizations warned that these economic changes respond to models that precarious the living conditions of the Bolivian people and violate the labor rights conquered by the working class.

Faced with the advance of government policies, the participating organizations confirmed their determination to maintain pressure in the streets and articulate new protest actions at the national level. The mobilized sectors emphasized that the restrictions imposed by the state of emergency will not curb the demands of the population and urged the Executive to reverse economic measures to prevent a further deterioration of the social climate in the country.

Mazo News Team