Original article: Bolivia: pueblos indígenas le paran los carros a Rodrigo Paz tras marchar 1. 100 km contra normas que amenazan sus tierras After trekking over 1,100 kilometers on foot over 29 days, a march of peasant and indigenous communities from Bolivia arrived in La Paz to demand that the president of the South American nation, Rodrigo Paz, halt the implementation of a package of regulations that they claim threatens the communal ownership of their lands. Specifically, the indigenous groups from the Amazonian department of Pando oppose the so-called «Law 1720», arguing that it undermines the Constitution, promotes land concentration, and endangers collective indigenous property.
They also reject the projects led by the Land and Territory Commission, chaired by right-wing senator Branko Marinkovic, who previously served as Minister of Planning and Minister of Economy and Finance during Jeanine Áñez’s government. According to the organizations, these regulations aim to convert small properties into medium agricultural holdings to facilitate access to mortgages and the sale of lands. They warned that the underlying goal is to transform communal and indigenous territories into personal property, fostering the fragmentation and commodification of ancestral lands that currently possess titles of communal and territorial ownership.
It is argued that selling or mortgaging these properties would allow residents to escape poverty. They questioned that these regulations were approved without proper socialization or prior consultation with the inhabitants of border zones and collective territories that would be affected by these measures. In light of this situation, they demand that Paz’s government halt the enactment of these laws that threaten the structure of traditional land ownership, and they seek a direct dialogue table with the right-wing president.
«Mr. President, you are mistaken about the Bolivian people, we want to tell you once again, address our petition or else you and all the parliamentarians will have to leave,» warned peasant leader Faifer Cuajera, as reported by the cited media. According to TeleSUR, the protesters initially entered La Paz via the Urujara checkpoint and then moved through the Miraflores neighborhood towards the city center.
The leaders confirmed they received an invitation from the Executive to begin a conversation process, but they clarified that the decision would be evaluated first at a meeting with their bases before going to the Government Palace. Rodrigo Paz’s Government Faces Deep Social and Political Crisis The conflict landscape, however, is not limited to the indigenous march. The Central Obrera Boliviana (COB) maintains a decree for indefinite strike, while the Confederation of Peasants will initiate road blockades across the country starting Tuesday as a pressure and protest measure.
These actions also include blockades in the Los Yungas area and announcements of stoppages by the transport sector, due to the shortage of diesel and low-quality fuels, along with mobilizations by urban education workers in La Paz. According to TeleSUR, the atmosphere of high tension also coincides with a security crisis triggered by the murder of the dean of the Environmental Agricultural Tribunal in Santa Cruz, Víctor Hugo Claure, allegedly executed by mercenaries linked to drug trafficking. In light of this situation, Rodrigo Paz has had to acknowledge the complexity of the political and social environment impacting his administration, which includes economic and territorial demands.
Meanwhile, the unions and indigenous organizations that have ascended from 300 to 3,500 meters above sea level to raise their voices and fight for their demands remain awaiting a meeting with the right-wing president and their delegations.