On 17 March 2025, in Cobija (Pando), a group of moto-taxi drivers and merchants carried out a demonstration by setting 26 blockades in different points of the municipality such as, 6 de Enero Avenue, as well as Mercado Abasto and 27 de Enero neighborhood and the Internacional bridge, in the border area with Brazil, denouncing fuel shortage and increase in food prices. The group demanded solutions from the national government.

Supply-chain Risk Briefing

1) Summary On March 17, motorcycle taxi drivers and merchants in Cobija, Pando Province, Bolivia staged blockade protests at 26 locations to protest fuel shortages and rising food prices. Major roads including international bridges in the border area with Brazil were blocked, but the protests were classified as peaceful with low severity levels.

2) Supply-chain Impact

• Brazil-Bolivia Border Logistics Delays: International bridge blockades temporarily suspended truck transportation and border clearance operations between the two countries, causing disruptions to trade logistics
• Regional Fuel Supply Chain Vulnerability Exposed: The fuel shortages that caused the protests indicate instability in Bolivia's inland energy supply chain, creating upward pressure on transportation costs
• Amazon Basin Agricultural Distribution Network Impact: Cobija serves as a major collection and distribution center for Amazon basin agricultural products, and continued road blockades could potentially delay agricultural exports to northern Brazil
• Raw Material Procurement Disruptions for Small Border Manufacturers: Short-term impact on procurement networks of local small business owners who depend on Brazilian manufactured goods and raw materials

3) Watch Points

• Changes in Bolivia's Fuel Subsidy Policy: Whether fuel supply policy adjustments due to national fiscal difficulties will determine the likelihood of similar protests recurring in the future
• Changes in Brazil-Bolivia Border Trade Volume: Need to track the recovery speed of daily trade volume through international bridges and the current status of alternative route utilization