US defence secretary compares Bolivia protests to government ‘overthrow’

The Trump medication has supported Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz aft his electoral triumph implicit the left-wing Movement for Socialism.

The medication of United States President Donald Trump has issued a connection appearing to characterise the anti-government protests successful Bolivia arsenic an attempted coup against the country’s right-wing president.

On Thursday, US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth posted connected societal media that the US subject constitution would “reject each attempts to overthrow the morganatic government” of Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz.

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He past proceeded to suggest that the protesters — galore of whom are teachers, miners, farmers and national workers — are successful league with “narco-terrorists”, the Trump administration’s word for cause traffickers.

“The United States is watching. Bolivia indispensable not let itself to autumn prey to the aged presumption quo of narco-terrorist dominance successful the region,” Hegseth wrote.

The connection was the latest denotation that the Trump medication plans to proceed taking an progressive relation successful Latin American authorities and security.

Since returning to the presidency for a 2nd word successful 2025, Trump has outlined an expansionist program for the US, and his medication has described the full Western Hemisphere arsenic its “neighbourhood” to patrol.

“This is OUR Hemisphere, and President Trump volition not let our information to beryllium threatened,” the State Department posted successful January.

The Trump medication has besides designated aggregate transgression networks successful Latin America arsenic “terrorist” organisations.

Earlier this year, Trump established a information inaugural called the Americas Counter Cartel Coalition (A3C), nether the umbrella of the Shield of the Americas, to bring unneurotic right-wing governments from crossed the portion to collaborate connected issues similar transgression and security.

Paz, the Bolivian president, was among the leaders to be the A3C’s inaugural acme successful March.

But domestically, his authorities has faced a rocky start. Paz was elected successful Bolivia’s statesmanlike run-off successful October, marking the extremity of astir 2 decades of governance from the Movement for Socialism (MAS).

His medication rapidly moved to reconstruct ties with the US, aft they were severed successful 2008 implicit disputes astir the US’s assertive anti-drug argumentation and different issues.

Bolivia is the 3rd largest shaper of coca, the earthy worldly for the cause cocaine, but the harvest besides has uses successful accepted medicine and Andean ceremony. Unions of coca farmers proceed to beryllium a almighty governmental unit successful the country.

Some of Paz’s aboriginal moves, however, person alarmed that constituency. In May, for example, his authorities was forced to revoke a onshore betterment law, Ley 1720, that farmers feared would let their tiny plots to beryllium converted to larger onshore holdings.

Paz’s determination to nix substance subsidies sparked nationalist backlash, too, arsenic petrol prices rose. Bolivia’s system has been successful turmoil for years, arsenic overseas currency reserves dwindle, alongside its exports of earthy gas, a large section commodity.

Since May, protesters person filled streets crossed Bolivia, blockading roadways and clashing with instrumentality enforcement.

Some demonstrators person called for Paz’s resignation, citing the fashionable discontent, though officials successful his medication person rejected the anticipation outright.

Facing the nationalist unrest, Paz has reshuffled his cabinet and pledged to instrumentality a 50-percent wage cut.

On May 27, Bolivia’s legislature gave the greenish airy for the subject to deploy against the protesters, successful a bid to wide the blockades. But the protests person continued to grind on.

The Trump administration, which has encouraged Latin American governments to instrumentality much hardline measures to face cause trafficking, offered Paz its enactment connected Thursday.

“We volition proceed to enactment our A3C partners similar Bolivia to guarantee that narco-terrorists are deterred from profiting connected decease and demolition successful our hemisphere,” Hegseth said.