Deadly census protests called off in Bolivia, After weeks of unrest, protests calling for a new census in Bolivia were put on hold on Saturday in Santa Cruz, the country’s commercial center. The leftist government of Bolivia plans to conduct the count in March 2024. After the country’s Chamber of Deputies approved the 2024 census earlier in the day, with the bill now moving to the Senate, the deadly protests, which have lasted for 36 days, were put on hold.
Deadly census protests called off in Bolivia
In addition to cementing the census date, the bill pledges government spending changes and legislative assembly seat allotment ahead of the country’s 2025 presidential election. The protests in Santa Cruz first began on October 22 with blocked roads, as activists demanded that President Luis Arce carry out the census by 2023, since the distribution of funds and legislative seats would depend on each region’s population.
Many in Santa Cruz, a stronghold of center-right political forces that are opposed to Arce’s government, believed their department was disadvantaged under current calculations that are based on a 2012 census. They feared the allocation of seats would not be updated in time for the 2025 ballot.
The government, however, rejected the request for a 2023 census and suggested March 2024 instead, claiming that it would be impossible to organize the count by then. In a press release, Romulo Calvo, the head of a significant civic organization in the area, declared, “We are lifting the strike and the blockades, without suspending our struggle.” There have been clashes between opponents and supporters of the ruling party during the protests, which have resulted in four fatalities and more than 170 injuries. Transport was halted, retail markets were shut, and tear gas was used by riot police to calm the unrest.
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