Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz declared a 90-day state of emergency Saturday, giving the armed forces authority to dismantle barricades that had severed La Paz and other urban centers from reliable supplies of food, fuel, and medicine for roughly 50 days.
In a televised address, Paz framed the decree as a last resort, telling the nation that every avenue for negotiation had been tried before the decision was made. "Bolivians cannot continue to be hostages of blockades that prevent working, studying, receiving medical attention, supplying themselves, and bringing sustenance to their homes," he said, according to CNN. Parliament later ratified the declaration, according to The Associated Press.