Full Breakdown
Bolivia’s Defense Minister Resigns Amid Escalating Protests
6/3/2026, 11:05:57 PM
Defense Minister Marcelo Salinas Resigns
On 2 June 2026 Defense Minister Marcelo Salinas resigned, the highest-level cabinet exit under President Rodrigo Paz. Education Minister Beatriz García also quit. Vice Minister Ernesto Justiniano, Bolivia’s anti-narcotics chief, was named his successor.
Economic Crisis Fuels Protests
Paz took office in November 2025 promising investment in mining, hydrocarbons, lithium and energy. Months later Bolivia faced fuel shortages, dwindling dollar reserves and rising living costs, prompting a workers’ strike that escalated to highway blockades across La Paz and El Alto.
Key Actors
President Rodrigo Paz; Defense Minister Marcelo Salinas; Vice Minister Ernesto Justiniano; Mayor Eliser Roca of El Alto; Mario Argollo, secretary, Workers’ Center; Jose Luis Lupo, minister of the Presidency; and the Central Obrera Boliviana (COB) and allied peasant groups.
Timeline of the Crisis
Nov 2025 – President Paz inaugurated. May 2026 – Workers’ strike expands to highway blockades isolating La Paz and El Alto. May 21 – Labor Minister Edgar Morales resigns under COB pressure. Late May – Blockades affect ? 2 million residents, costing the city ? $6.5 million daily. Paz signaled an emergency before 2 June, when Defense and Education ministers resigned; Justiniano became defense minister.
Impact and Statistics
Blockades cover eight regions, closing over 90 roads. La Paz/El Alto house about 2 million people; the city loses $6.5 million daily. Demonstrations entered day 33. Legislative Assembly, dominated by right-wing parties (93 % of seats), repealed limits on declaring state of exception. Argollo noted 54 % of voters backed Paz.
Official Responses and Opposition
Minister of the Presidency Jose Luis Lupo told Reuters calls for Paz’s resignation are “anti-democratic.” President’s office declined comment on the resignations. Mario Argollo said the government abandoned its electoral base and failed to reconcile with citizens. Protesters demand Paz’s resignation, repeal of the Anti-Blockade Law (Law 1732), release of detained leaders and a halt to privatization.
On-the-Ground Report
Mayor Eliser Roca said many families were living day to day and emphasized their right to eat, as blockades caused shortages of food, medicine and fuel. Demonstrators burned tires and kept highways blocked, deepening strain on small businesses.
Conflicting Reports and Gaps
Sources disagree on why Salinas and García quit: some say they refused to sign a decree establishing state of exception after Law 1732, others view the resignations as part of cabinet reshuffle. US embassy involvement in Justiniano’s appointment is unverified, and no education minister successor has been named.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Many families live day to day ... they also have the right to eat,” — Mayor Eliser Roca
- “The central government did not take advantage of the opportunity to reconcile with its people, with that 54% (of people) the president speaks about who brought him to power, but unfortunately, once he arrived (to power), he forgot about his electoral base,” — Mario Argollo, Workers’ Center
What’s Next
Paz is expected to issue a decree on state of exception within days, authorizing troop deployment to clear blockades. Negotiations with the COB remain stalled, and further cabinet changes are possible as the government seeks to restore order.
