Bolivia’s president offers to slash own salary by half to end protests
Embattled leader’s pay cut gesture comes as the nation enters its fourth week of political and social unrest
A tense and tenuous calm fell over La Paz on Monday evening after a day rocked by violent clashes between protesters and police, despite Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz offering to slash his salary by 50 per cent in an effort to end protests.
Even as clashes abated, there was no sign that protesters were prepared to clear the streets, with demonstrations likely to continue this week.
Protesters have blocked roads into La Paz for nearly a month, leading to shortages of food, fuel and medicine.
The US-backed, centre-right leader Paz has made various gestures aimed at ending the revolt that has exploded just six months into his presidency.
On Monday, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva – a traditional ally of socialist former Bolivian president Evo Morales – spoke with Paz by phone and, according to a statement by the Brazilian president’s office, “reiterated his solidarity with the Bolivian government and people”.
Lula, one of the most well-known leftist leaders in Latin America, called for the protesters and the government to “prioritise dialogue as a way to overcome differences”, while agreeing to send humanitarian aid to the country.