π§π΄ πΊπΈ | Civil war-type scenes are emerging from Bolivia.
The government passed a law authorising US-backed President Rodrigo Paz to deploy the military against protesters.
Bolivian police and military forces have launched a joint operation to clear strike blockades in San JuliΓ‘n, Santa Cruz department, as a five-week general strike against neoliberalism continues to grip the country.
The crackdown came with full government backing β multiple ministers arrived for what was intended as a photo opportunity declaring victory over the movement.
Instead, entire communities mobilised, forcing security forces to retreat after more than four hours of sustained resistance on the highway.
The mobilisations, demanding the resignation of President Rodrigo Paz, have left at least ten people dead, 37 injured, and over a hundred facing prosecution, according to the Ombudsman's Office.
Meanwhile, in El Alto β the indigenous city encircling the capital β daily popular assemblies are being held where communities vote on strike strategy and assess the movement's progress. A new form of grass-roots democracy is taking shape on the streets.