Protests and roadblocks are escalating in Bolivia six months after President Rodrigo Paz took office, with blockades around La Paz causing shortages of food and fuel in the capital.
Mining workers, farmers, teachers and supporters of former president Evo Morales are among those taking part in the protests, which have been ongoing for around two weeks. Some groups are demonstrating against rising living costs and demanding wage increases, while others are calling for Paz to resign.
Bolivia has been mired in a deep economic crisis for years, repeatedly triggering unrest.
Paz has been in office since November. He belongs to the Christian Democratic Party, a centrist political force.
His election victory ended nearly two decades of left-wing governments in Bolivia, which had long been shaped by the power struggle between Morales and his leftist successor Luis Arce.
On Sunday, the US State Department condemned in a post on X "all actions aimed at destabilizing the democratically elected government" of Paz.
Eight conservative governments in Latin America also issued a joint statement condemning any attempt to undermine Bolivia's democratic order.
"We are ready to pursue every avenue for dialogue," Presidential Minister José Luis Lupo said on Sunday ahead of talks with some of the protest groups. Violence and intolerance would only create more problems, he said.
According to Bolivia's ombudsman's office, at least 47 people have been detained and five injured during the protests.
At least 15 roadblocks remained in place in La Paz department on Sunday, the newspaper El Deber reported. The local chamber of commerce put economic losses caused by the protests at $500 million.
