The conservative, pro-U.S. government of President Rogrigo Paz is being challenged in the streets by radical elements led by a former socialist president recently forcing the new Bolivian government to introduce a state of emergency.

The landlocked mineral-rich nation is facing one of its deepest political crises in decades as economic turmoil, nationwide protests and a battle over the country’s future threaten to reshape the balance of power in South America.

The unrest comes after years of political divisions following the tenure of socialist President Evo Morales, whose Movement Toward Socialism (MAS) dominated Bolivian politics for nearly two decades. Internal fractures, economic decline and public frustration have weakened the movement and opened a new chapter of uncertainty.

US, SHIELD OF THE AMERICAS CONDEMN ‘ONGOING EFFORTS’ TO OVERTHROW BOLIVIA’S ELECTED PRESIDENT AMID UNREST

The Trump administration recently signaled strong backing for the Paz government while condemning efforts to destabilize the country.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United States «Will not allow criminals and drug traffickers to overthrow democratically elected leaders in our hemisphere» and reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to Bolivia’s «stability, security, and a better future for all Bolivians.»

Speaking on background, a State Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital that, «The United States strongly supports President Rodrigo Paz’s decision on June 20 to declare a State of Exception to restore order and ensure the free flow of food, medicine, and essential supplies to the Bolivian people.  We are glad that the blockades in Bolivia have ended and the government has restored order.»

Bolivia’s crisis has been driven by Morales and his supporters furious at the Paz reforms. Protests and road blockades have disrupted transportation, caused shortages and increased pressure on the Paz government.

José Luis Lupo, chief of staff and minister of the presidency of Bolivia told Fox News Digital: «After more than 50 days of blockades that severely disrupted the supply of food, fuel, and medicines, paralyzing much of the country’s economic activity and straining its democratic stability, I am convinced that Bolivia now faces a unique opportunity to transform a deep crisis into the starting point for a new phase of national reconstruction.»

26 June 2024, Bolivia, La Paz: Military police stand amid tear gas fired in front of the presidential palace on Plaza Murillo.  (Photo by Radoslaw Czajkowski/picture alliance via Getty Images)

He noted that «for weeks, we sought agreements with various sectors because we believe that, in a democracy, every avenue for mutual understanding must be exhausted before resorting to extraordinary measures.»

He said the state of emergency [state of exception] «was the constitutional last resort to restore freedom of movement, protect critical infrastructure and ensure that Bolivians could once again access essential goods. It was not a measure intended to restrict rights, but rather to protect lives, preserve democracy and restore freedom of movement to millions of citizens.»

PETE HEGSETH WARNS NARCO-TERRORISTS AS US BACKS BOLIVIA’S GOVERNMENT AMID COUP WARNINGS

The turmoil has also had consequences beyond Bolivia’s borders. The country holds some of the world’s largest lithium resources, a key mineral for electric vehicles, batteries and advanced technology supply chains. Competition for influence in resource-rich Latin America has become increasingly important for Washington as China and other global powers expand their presence in the region.

Bolivia’s political crisis reflects a broader trend across Latin America, where voters in the last few election cycles have elected conservatives who challenged the left’s business-as-usual politics and in doing so have taken the continent in a rightward direction.

The socialist Morales remains an influential figure and continues to command support among rural and indigenous groups, keeping Bolivia’s political divisions alive even as the country searches for a path out of the crisis.

Mauricio Ríos García, manager of Crusoe Research and editor of FRACTAL Index in Bolivia, told Fox News Digital, «The 50-day blockades have caused estimated losses of $2.5 billion and the closure of around 13,000 companies. Once the blockades end, a rebound in demand combined with excess liquidity is expected to drive inflation higher.»

A police convoy clears one of the main highways after Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz declared a state of emergency following 50 days of blockades, in El Alto, Bolivia, on June 20, 2026.  (Jorge Mateo Romay Salinas/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Ríos said, «The government is nearing an IMF agreement that would likely include a new devaluation (exchange rate unification) and other adjustments in exchange for financing of around $3.3–5 billion. This marks growing dependence on the IMF and the United States, while the gradualist approach has left the economy with very little room for maneuver and risks further instability.

«Expectations for Bolivia’s economy in the second half of the year have been revised downward. Blockades and deeper structural problems rooted in the government’s gradualist fiscal and monetary policies have worsened the difficult inheritance from the previous administration,» he concluded.

COLOMBIA’S ‘EL TIGRE’ SECURES PRESIDENCY AS LEFTIST RIVAL FINALLY CONCEDES DEFEAT

For Washington, Bolivia’s future represents more than a domestic political dispute. The outcome could influence America’s strategic position in the Western Hemisphere, the future of critical minerals, and whether Latin America’s recent political shift continues moving away from the left-wing movements that dominated parts of the region during the last two decades.

«I am convinced that stability will only endure if it is accompanied by inclusion. There can be no peace where neglect and inequality persist. That is why we are driving a development agenda for historically marginalized regions, particularly the provinces of La Paz, focused on infrastructure, basic services, productive development and the participation of the communities themselves,» Lupo said.

And as the barricades have lessened, Lupo, chief of staff and minister of the presidency of Bolivia, says, «A different phase is now beginning. I believe the country needs a broad political and social agreement involving the government, parliamentary forces, the regions, the productive sector, and civil society. Bolivia needs to pass reforms that provide legal certainty, promote investment, and modernize strategic sectors such as hydrocarbons, mining, lithium, renewable energy and the justice system. Such consensus is essential to restoring confidence, stabilizing the economy and generating sustainable growth.

«I hope to see Bolivia definitively replace confrontation with dialogue, strengthen its institutions, and build a more robust economy characterized by clear rules, democratic stability and greater opportunities for all,» Lupo concluded.

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The Trump administration had increased emergency humanitarian assistance to help address food and medical shortages caused by weeks of unrest, underscoring U.S. concerns that prolonged instability could have broader implications for regional security and democracy.

“Y esto es toooodoooo”, dice, como un suspiro, Federico Irazábal, semisentado en un escenario junto a Gabriela Ricardes, ministra de Cultura de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Esto es toodooo: acaban de anunciar la extensa programación del Festival Internacional de Buenos Aires 2026, que se hará del 9 al 20 septiembre.

La ministra y el Director Artístico del FIBA se dieron algunos gustos en el anuncio: contaron, por ejemplo, que habrá una obra de Bob Wilson, el director teatral vanguardista que en Buenos Aires, vimos, por ejemplo, con Michail Baryshnikov. También danza con el coreógrafo francés Rachid Ouramdane; Dorian, la compañia surcoreana Liquid Sound; más danza con NO/MAS/SACRE, del español Reinaldo Ribeiro; y La Luna en el Amazonas, una obra producida por los colombianos de Mapa Teatro a partir del hallazgo de una comunidad aislada en la gran selva americana. » Es una pieza de teatro documental, una de esas grandes muestras de teatro político contemporáneo», dice Irazábal.

Estrenos mundiales, cooperación entre el Teatro Colón y el San Martín en el marco del festival, circo y, como siempre, muchas producciones nacionales. Una puesta completa después de que, en 2025, se suspendiera el Festival y, en cambio se hicieran charlas de reflexión. “Era momento de sentarnos a discutir. Había cambiado la coyuntura, había cambiado la escena, habían cambiado las lógicas de los viajes, los intercambios culturales y era necesario sentarnos a conversar entre todos”, dice Irázabal.

El Festival abrirá, justamente, con la obra de Bob Wilson -que murió en julio del año pasado- en el Teatro Coliseo. La obra entrelaza la novela El retrato de Dorian Gray, de Oscar Wilde, con las vidas del pintor Francis Bacon y el propio Wilde. “Hay varias obras de Wilson dando vueltas y esta producción lituana tiene mucho, más allá de la sonoridad del idioma, que siempre es una de las grandes perlas del FIBA”, dice Irázabal.

Y el FIBA cerrará, contó Ricardes, con un espectáculo de danza en el Teatro San Martín. Se trata de Contre-nature, del coreógrafo francés Rachid Ouramdane. “Rachid desarrolla una una propuesta absolutamente física ligada entre las artes visuales, la danza profunda y la acrobacia”, dice la ministra. “Es una pieza conmovedora y entre los intérpretes hay argentinos que vuelven después de muchos años, que han sido formados acá”. La obra se trata de la infancia y del envejecimiento. “Necesitamos gente con orígenes ligeramente híbridos, es decir, gente que se sienta igual de a gusto en el aire que en el suelo, todas estas formas de bailar, moverse, proyectarse, que se compartan”, contó hace tiempo el coreógrafo.

Otro de los hitos del festival -es estreno mundial- será Letters, de Diego Aramburo, un artista boliviano que se unió a la suiza Beatrice Fleischlin. “Trabajan sobre el universo de las cartas, de las cartas manuscritas, de las cartas en papel”, dice Irázabal. “Y básicamente lo que hacen es reconstruir el universo de un artista que vive en una gran ciudad y que le escribe cartas a su madre, que cría cerdos en la montaña. Y el de Diego Aramburo, que le escribe a su madre y que le escribe a su hija para tratar de recuperarla porque transicionó. Y la familia de su hija, la madre y los abuelos, no dejan tener contacto a la familia de Diego”.

Tambén estará el acróbata argentino Juan Ignacio Tula con su espectáculo Instante. Tula vive en Francia y los responsables del festival destacan la posibilidad de ver a compatriotas que están fuera del país. “La compañía lo difunde como un espectáculo hipnótico y les aseguro que es un espectáculo hipnótico, francamente uno queda metido dentro de ese disco que no para nunca de girar gracias a las dotes acrobáticas de este maravilloso artista”, dice Irázabal.

Así, con entusiasmo, transcurre la charla. La programación internacional -que estará completa en las páginas del festival- se extiende y en un rato explicarán que se podrán adquirir entradas de manera individual o en abonos. No están decididos los precios pero en el gobierno dejaron saber a Infobae que los espectáculos mayores tendrán tickets “por abajo y por arriba de los 50.000 pesos”, de acuerdo con la ublicación.

La programación, por supuesto, tiene muchísimas obras nacionales. Esta vez, anuncia la ministra, la entrada a ellas no será gratuita. Con esto intentan evitar que se saquen entradas que luego nadie usa y, a la vez, quede gente afuera o haciendo largas colas. No se anunció oficialmente cuánto costarán, pero se estimaba, segun pudo saber Infobae que rondarán los 8.000 pesos.

Entre los puntos destacados de este tramo del festival está la Ópera de los tres centavos (sí, tres) de Gabriel Calderón, una coproducción del Teatro Colón y el Complejo Teatral de Buenos Aires.

También se dará La lluvia de fuego, de Marilú Marini, que ya es un mito del teatro argentino. Y el Teatro Colón presentará Principio de éxtasis de Goyo Montero, inspirado en El Aleph de Jorge Luis Borges.

El Ballet Contemporáneo del Teatro San Martín se hará presente con Rossini Cards, de Bigonzetti. Y se verán Una sombra voraz de Mariano Pensotti, El trabajo, de Federico León y En mitad de tanto fuego de Alejandro Tantanian, entre muchas otras obras.

“Esto es lo que hace a la programación nacional una programación muy variada, muy variada en sus búsquedas, en sus lenguajes, en las edades de los artistas, en las prácticas, en el modo de concebir el teatro, en lo independiente, en lo oficial, en gran formato, pequeño formato, indoor, outdoor. O sea, hay francamente para todos los gustos”, celebra el director del festival.

Finalmente, en el subsuelo de la Casa de la Cultura, habrá una muestra titulada La isla. El Teatro San Martín en Dictaduras, curada por la artista Débora Staiff, que es la hija de Kive Staiff, un histórico director de ese teatro: estuvo al frente de él durante 30 años.

La muestra, contaron se baja justamente en el archivo de Staiff, al que en el ambiente conocían -y conocen- simplemente como “Kive”. Con eso, y los archivos del Teatro, se arma “esta muestra con la posibilidad de entender qué fue lo que pasó en las entrañas del Teatro San Martín durante esos años oscuros, cómo funcionaba la censura, cómo la censura operaba sobre los textos”.

Irázabal adelantó que “vamos a encontrarnos con textos marcados, con textos tachados, por supuesto, con las listas negras de esos artistas que tenían prohibido trabajar. Vamos a encontrarnos con información que fue confidencial hasta hace muy poquito tiempo y que ahora la vamos a poder tener, la vamos a poder ver. Vamos a poder comprender una parte de nuestra historia, de nuestra historia de las artes escénicas. Con muchísimo dolor, por supuesto, pero siempre viene bien mirarlo de frente y entender cómo operó esa zona tan oscura de nuestro país, que no abarca únicamente a la última dictadura, sino que arranca con Onganía y recorre todo ese largo periodo y triste periodo”.

Las entradas a las obras internacionales estarán a la venta en la web del Festival desde este 15 de julio. Y, para las nacionales, desde el 23.

It’s been nearly four decades since a Democrat won a U.S. Senate election in reliably red Texas.

But a new poll suggests that Democrats have a good shot this year of breaking their long losing streak.

Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico and Republican nominee Ken Paxton, the longtime state attorney general, are tied at 47% support among likely voters in Texas, according to a New York Times/Siena survey released on Tuesday.

Paxton, who defeated longtime GOP incumbent Sen. John Cornyn in last month’s Republican nomination runoff election just days after landing the backing of President Donald Trump, is facing off against Talarico, a state representative considered a rising star in the Democratic Party, in a midterm race that is among a handful that will likely determine if the Republicans hold their slim Senate majority.

MAGA TRIUMPH: PAXTON TOPS CORNYN IN BATTLE FOR GOP SENATE NOMINATION

The poll points to some troubling signs for Paxton, who has faced a slew of scandals and legal problems that have battered him over the past decade. In 2023, the Texas House of Representatives voted to impeach Paxton, but he was eventually acquitted of all charges by the state Senate. And Paxton is dealing with a messy divorce, with his wife Angela, a state senator, citing «biblical grounds» based on «recent discoveries» in filing last year to end their marriage.

According to the poll, fewer than four in 10 respondents said Paxton has good character or the right kind of moral values. And half said Paxton, a MAGA firebrand and one of the leaders of the legal effort to overturn Trump’s 2020 presidential election loss, is too extreme.

Also problematic for Paxton is that his support, at 47%, is below the 50% of respondents who said they preferred Republicans to control the Senate next year.

The poll also shows Talarico winning the support of 61% of Hispanic — voters less than two years after Trump carried the Hispanic vote in Texas in the last presidential election — and leading the 63-year-old Paxton by 27 points among independents.

THE TEN RACES THAT WILL DETERMINE THE SENATE’S MAJORITY

Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico addresses supporters at a rally in Houston. (F. Carter Smith/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

And the survey spotlights a massive gender gap, with Talarico winning female votes by 18 points and Paxton ahead among male voters by the same margin.

Talarico, a 37-year-old former middle school teacher and Presbyterian seminarian who topped progressive firebrand and vocal Trump critic Rep. Jasmine Crockett in the March Democratic Senate primary, has emerged as the top Democratic fundraiser in Senate races, hauling in a massive $27 million in the first three months of this year.

But Republicans have repeatedly targeted Talarico, spotlighting his past controversial comments, including suggesting that «God is nonbinary» or that there are six biological sexes.

TRUMP ROASTS DEM CANDIDATE AS UNELECTABLE FOR CARDINAL SIN IN TEXAS

In his victory speech last month, Paxton mocked the Democratic nominee as «tofu Talarico,» «six-gender Jimmy,» «James Talafreako» and «low-T Talarico.» 

And he said in a Fox News Digital interview after winning the nomination: «James Talarico doesn’t belong in Texas. We cannot let him be the center of the state of Texas. He fits in California. He does not fit here.»

The poll suggests the Democratic Party brand may impede Talarico, with a majority of respondents seeing Democrats as too far to the left.

DEMOCRACY ’26: STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE FOX NEWS ELECTION HUB

Democratic Texas State Rep. James Talarico, left, and longtime Attorney General Ken Paxton are facing off this year in a crucial Midterm Election showdown in the race to succeed GOP Sen. John Cornyn. (Alberto Silva Fernandez/Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

And following a divisive primary with Crockett, who is Black, the poll indicates that 12% of Black voters have a negative opinion of Talarico, who is White.

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But likely helping Talarico is the economy.

Sixty percent of those questioned gave a thumbs down to how Trump was handling cost-of-living issues, which will do Paxton no favors.

It’s no surprise: Talarico is highlighting economic concerns over soaring prices, saying in a new ad as he walks out of a grocery store that «too many Texans feel like they’re drowning.»