121 articles that perjudice Bolivia and auction off its resources
Coca farmer unions claim the decree is unconstitutional, citing 121 articles that harm Bolivia and bypass required indigenous consultation and legislative approval. The decree includes fuel price increases but also offers 20% wage hikes and expanded social benefits, creating mixed economic impacts across sectors.
- Coca farmer unions in Cochabamba region announced support for Central Labor Federation protests on December 29
- Decree 5503, signed December 17, removes fuel subsidies and includes 20% minimum wage increase
- Vice President Edmand Lara publicly opposed the decree, calling it a decree of hunger and unemployment
- Coca unions claim the decree is unconstitutional because it bypasses indigenous consultation and legislative approval
Coca growers from Bolivia's Cochabamba region announced they will join Central Labor Federation protests against Decree 5503, a fiscal adjustment package that includes fuel subsidy cuts and resource extraction measures.
Bolivia's coca growers announced on Sunday that they would join the Central Labor Federation in protesting Decree 5503, an economic package the government says is necessary to stabilize the country's fiscal crisis. Wilma Colque, who leads the six coca farmer unions in the Cochabamba region, called for a meeting on Tuesday to decide what actions the unions would take. She was blunt about the scope of the dispute: the decree, she said, contained 121 articles that would harm Bolivia and essentially auction off the country's natural resources. The farmers' decision to mobilize marked a significant expansion of the coalition against the government's plan.
President Rodrigo Paz signed the decree on December 17 with his cabinet, framing it as an emergency measure to address fuel shortages and macroeconomic instability. The most visible change was the removal of fuel subsidies, which sent diesel and gasoline prices upward. The package also included a fast-track mechanism to accelerate investment deals, tax breaks, and customs flexibility designed to attract foreign capital and ease imports of productive goods. But the decree was not purely austerity. It raised the minimum wage by 20 percent, increased student bonuses in public schools, and expanded pensions for elderly citizens without formal social security contributions.
For Colque and the coca unions, the constitutional problem was not just the fuel price or the subsidy cuts. They objected to the decree's mechanism for approving contracts involving natural resources—a process they said bypassed required prior consultation with affected indigenous communities and legislative approval. In a video posted to social media, Colque rejected the decree outright, calling it unconstitutional.
The labor federation had already been in the streets. The previous week, the Central Labor Federation led marches demanding the decree's approval—a position that shifted as the government's intent became clear—and clashed with police. Talks with the government yielded no agreement. Now, with coca growers, miners, campesinos, factory workers, and rural teachers all mobilizing, the coalition against the decree was growing.
The decree had also fractured the government itself. Vice President Edmand Lara, who had positioned himself in "constructive opposition" to Paz, came out over the weekend in support of the protests. In a social media post, he called the decree one of hunger and unemployment, and he told the mobilized sectors to stay strong because better days were coming. The rift between the president and his vice president was now public and deepening.
The government showed no sign of backing down. Minister of the Presidency José Luis Lupo posted a message saying the administration would continue working to pull Bolivia out of crisis and urged the protesting sectors to abandon confrontation, roadblocks, and violence. Paz and his team were attempting to build support for the reforms through meetings with various social groups, but the momentum was clearly with those demanding the decree's repeal. The standoff between the government's economic vision and the coalition of workers and farmers opposing it would shape the coming weeks.
Citações Notáveis
We will participate in these marches and mobilizations to repeal the decree. Behind this are 121 articles that harm Bolivia and essentially auction off all its natural resources.— Wilma Colque, president of the six coca farmer federations
This government has sided with the rich and issued what I call a decree of hunger and unemployment.— Vice President Edmand Lara, in a social media post
A Conversa do Hearth Outra perspectiva sobre a história
Why did the coca growers decide to join now, rather than earlier?
They were watching. The decree's full scope—those 121 articles—became clear only as people read it. It wasn't just about fuel prices. It was about how the government would approve resource extraction deals without consulting the communities living on that land.
But the decree also raised wages by 20 percent. Doesn't that help the workers?
It does, in theory. But when fuel prices spike, that wage increase gets eaten up immediately. A farmer or a miner doesn't feel richer if their transportation costs double. The wage bump looks good on paper but doesn't address the immediate pain.
What's the significance of the vice president breaking ranks?
It's a signal that the government is fracturing. Lara is positioning himself as the alternative—the one who listens to workers. If Paz's government stumbles, Lara becomes the obvious next leader. He's not just sympathizing; he's building political capital.
Do you think the government will actually repeal the decree?
No. They've said repeatedly they won't back down. But they're also trying to negotiate, which suggests they're worried about the scale of the opposition. The real question is whether the protests can sustain momentum long enough to force a change.
What happens to ordinary Bolivians caught in the middle?
They pay more for fuel and food while waiting to see if their wages actually keep pace. The elderly and students get some relief through expanded benefits, but that doesn't help the person filling a tank or buying groceries today.