Bolivian Congress approves deploying troops to quell protests
Bolivia's Congress has approved a measure allowing troops to be deployed in an effort to restore order after four weeks of road blockades. Lawmakers who back the move say it is key to returning the country to normality.
Bolivia's Congress has approved a measure that allows troops to support security forces, following four weeks of road blockades across the country. According to the BBC, lawmakers who back the move argue it is necessary to return daily life to normal.
The prolonged blockades have disrupted food and fuel deliveries and caused economic losses. The government says the protests have paralysed parts of the country, while the groups behind the demonstrations are pressing for their demands to be met. Details of how and where the measure will be applied have not yet been made clear.
The authorisation will be watched closely on human-rights grounds, as the use of the military in internal security operations remains a sensitive issue across Latin America. How tensions between the sides develop in the coming days will be closely followed.
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