Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz announced early Saturday the implementation of a state of emergency aimed at restoring road traffic across the country after weeks of nationwide blockades related to protests.
Since early May, road blockades in several parts of Bolivia have disrupted the transportation of fuel, food and medical supplies, causing shortages in some cities and dealing a heavy blow to economic activity.
In a message posted on social media, Paz said Bolivians could no longer remain "hostages" to road blockades that prevent people from working, studying, receiving medical care, obtaining essential goods and supporting their families.
This state of emergency is not intended to take away normality, but to restore it, the president said.
Paz also stressed that the government's doors would remain open to all those willing to engage in good-faith dialogue.
Meanwhile, Bolivia needs to recover its roads, guarantee supplies and return to normality, he said.
On Thursday, the Bolivian government signed an agreement with the trade union federation Bolivian Workers' Central, a key participant in the protest movement, committing both sides to address pending demands through dialogue. The agreement has been viewed as an important step toward resolving the country's social unrest, which has lasted for about 50 days.
However, some farmers and indigenous groups continue to maintain road blockades, and transportation networks across the country have yet to fully return to normal.
The protests were initially launched by the trade union group, farmer organizations and indigenous groups over issues including fuel shortages and rising living costs.
Bolivian president declares state of emergency to restore road traffic
Spokesperson for the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) Babar Baloch warned that millions of internally displaced persons remain unable to return home due to stalled peace efforts, urging stronger global support as the crisis threatens to affect everyone.
At the end of 2025, 68.7 million people remained internally displaced due to conflict and violence, a 7 percent decrease from the end of 2024, according to the latest Global Trends report published this month.
In an interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN), Baloch referred to two countries in severe situations -- Sudan, which remains the largest internal displacement globally with 9.1 million people still displaced at the end of 2025, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which faces severe humanitarian crisis amid both violence and the Ebola outbreak.
Baloch said many displaced people remain near their homes hoping for a quick return, but warned that ongoing conflict and stalled peace efforts often dash those expectations and leave lives in danger.
"The problem is, as this report showed us, that once you become displaced, then it's not easy for people to go back to their places of origin because there are no efforts to bring back peace, or the efforts which continue, they don't bring results. And also if people stay closer to homes, and if there's a conflict, and if there are reasons that they may not become safe, so, also, their lives are in danger," he said.
With few solutions in sight, Baloch warned that the plight of internally displaced persons must become a global concern, as new conflicts continue to erupt and leave millions at risk.
"The trends are consistent in a way that there are not many solutions to be found for these displaced population. And then we see more and new theaters of war and conflict, or opening up. In terms of people when they become displaced, we are telling the world that you need to take care. It should be of everyone's concern because it affects all of us, all around the world alike," he said.
UNHCR warns global displacement crisis puts lives at risk
