Protests and clashes with police in La Paz call for President Paz resignation

Hundreds of protesters clashed with riot police in the administrative capital of La Paz on Monday, escalating weeks of nationwide demonstrations into direct calls for the resignation of President Rodrigo Paz just six months after he took office. The unrest, which saw projectiles and tear gas fired near government buildings, represents the most severe political challenge to the new administration.

The protests have been fueled by widespread discontent over economic conditions, including rising living costs, fuel shortages, and an inflation rate that neared 20 percent last year. For two weeks, road blockades led by major labor unions, peasant organizations, and miners have isolated La Paz, causing severe shortages in markets and depleting hospital oxygen reserves. The government reported that at least three people have died after emergency vehicles were blocked from reaching medical centers.

On Monday, supporters of former President Evo Morales joined the protests in the capital, merging with other sectors demanding President Paz's resignation. The president, a centrist who leads a fractured Christian Democratic Party, lacks a legislative majority. A presidential spokesperson...