US warns Bolivia over protests as Washington backs President Rodrigo Paz

The United States has publicly warned that it is watching anti-government protests in Bolivia, after the Trump administration framed the unrest as an attempt to overthrow President Rodrigo Paz. In a social media post on Thursday, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said the US military establishment would reject any attempt to topple what he called Bolivia's legitimate government. He also linked some protesters to what the administration calls "narco-terrorists".

Sponsored

The statement came after Washington backed Paz following his electoral victory over the left-wing Movement for Socialism. Hegseth said the United States would not allow Bolivia to "fall prey" to what he described as narco-terrorist dominance in the region. The post did not provide evidence for the allegation, but it marked a sharp public intervention in Bolivia's domestic unrest.

The protesters were described in the report as including teachers, miners, farmers and union workers. The comments matter because they place Bolivia's internal political tensions within a wider US security agenda in Latin America. The Trump administration has described the Western Hemisphere as its neighbourhood to patrol and has taken a harder line on criminal networks in the region.

It has also designated multiple Latin American criminal groups as terrorist organisations and launched the Americas Counter Cartel Coalition, or A3C, under the Shield of the Americas framework. Paz attended the coalition's inaugural summit in March, underlining the close alignment between his government and Washington. Paz's presidency has already faced a difficult start at home.

Sponsored

He won the run-off election in October, ending nearly two decades of rule by the Movement for Socialism. His government then moved quickly to restore ties with the United States, which had been severed in 2008 amid disputes over Washington's anti-drug policy and other issues. The latest US statement suggests that the administration is prepared to defend that political shift while treating unrest in Bolivia through a security lens.

Bolivia remains a significant country in regional drug-control politics because it is a major producer of coca, the raw material for cocaine. That makes any US accusation involving "narco-terrorists" politically sensitive, especially when directed at a protest movement that includes labour and rural groups. The language also raises the stakes for Paz, who must balance domestic legitimacy with support from Washington.

It may also deepen concerns among critics that the US is again taking an active role in Latin American politics and security. What remains unclear is how far the protests have spread, whether they are coordinated nationally, and whether the Bolivian government will respond with arrests, dialogue or other measures. It is also not clear whether Washington's warning will be followed by any concrete action beyond public statements.

#Bolivia #RodrigoPaz #PeteHegseth #protests #UnitedStates

Sponsored