Law and order faced a direct assault in Bolivia this weekend as violent protesters, loyal to disgraced former President Evo Morales, ambushed a government convoy tasked with clearing illegal roadblocks.
Public Works Minister Mauricio Zamora was overseeing an operation to restore the flow of food and medicine to La Paz and El Alto when his vehicle was intercepted in Copata. The agitators, who are attempting to destabilize the administration of President Rodrigo Paz, attacked the convoy with stones and dynamite.
Zamora was briefly separated from his security detail during the chaos but was eventually located and confirmed safe. This violence is the latest escalation in a campaign by socialist factions to protest necessary austerity measures and the end of unsustainable fuel subsidies.
While the government attempts to restore stability and address a severe economic crisis, these radicals have resorted to looting, burning police stations, and destroying military equipment. The unrest is being fueled by Morales, who is currently dodging criminal allegations involving a minor.
President Paz has rightly signaled that while he is open to dialogue, there is a limit to how much lawlessness his government will tolerate in the face of these insurrectionist tactics.
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