This archive report was first published on 18 November 2019.
La Paz, Bolivia - November 17, 2019
As the political crisis in Bolivia deepens, residents of La Paz are facing severe gas and food shortages. The situation has been exacerbated by daily protests demanding the resignation of Jeanine Anez, the conservative senator who declared herself acting president after Morales' resignation.
Supporters of Morales, who resigned on November 10 amid violent protests over alleged fraud in his re-election to a fourth term, have been blocking key supply routes, including the road leading from La Paz to the neighboring city of El Alto and the Sanketa refinery near El Alto.
Gas stations in La Paz are bone dry, with many residents waiting in line for hours or even days for a truck with gas to arrive. 'No gas, no work,' said 72-year-old driver Lara, who has been waiting since Thursday morning.
Colonel Rodolfo Montero, the new head of the Bolivian police, said that the regional commander in El Alto has begun a dialogue with the protesters, but no progress has been reported so far.
At the Mercado Rodriguez, an open-air market in La Paz, vendors are struggling to cope with the shortages. While some, like Maria, a merchant who sells fennel and pepper, are sympathetic to the protesters, others, like Gualberto Albornoz, are frustrated by the shortages and the impact on their daily lives.
The government has flown in 35 tons of meat from central Bolivia to ease shortages in La Paz, and presidential chief of staff Jerjes Justiniano has promised to send 25 tons of chicken over the next few days.
