Republican senators led by Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Jim Risch are condemning violent protests in Bolivia against center-right President Rodrigo Paz, urging Bolivia’s citizens to adhere to peaceful demonstrations as the country’s leadership works to “overcome two decades of failed socialist economic policies.”
The statement, signed by Risch as well as Sens. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, Rick Scott, R-Fla., and John Curtis, R-Utah, expressed strong US support for Paz’s government, days after a top State Department official described the protests against his leadership as “an ongoing coup d’état.”
Paz, who has restored US-Bolivia relations, was elected last year on a promise to enact economic “shock therapy,” but his early moves — like ending longstanding fuel subsidies — are proving unpopular.
The US senators called on the international community to join “Bolivian efforts to stabilize its economy and promote economic prosperity” in the statement, shared first with Semafor.