On 18 March 2025, near Batallas (La Paz), a group of residents and transporters carried out a demonstration by blocking the road to Copacabana, Achacachi, Sorata, and Apolo municipalities, near Batallas locality, with tires and other objects set on fire, demanding fuel supply and the normalization of the service.

Supply-chain Risk Briefing: Bolivia La Paz Fuel Supply Protests

1. Summary

On March 18, 2025, residents and transporters near Batallas in Bolivia's La Paz department staged protests demanding normalization of fuel supply, blocking major roads. Protesters burned tires and other materials while blocking roads leading to key municipalities including Copacabana, Achacachi, Sorata, and Apolo. The current risk level is assessed as low.

2. Supply-chain impact

• Regional transport network disruption: Road blockades between multiple municipalities in La Paz department causing delays in regional logistics movement
• Fuel shortage expansion: Given that fuel shortages are the cause of protests, concerns over further deterioration of industrial activities and transport services in the affected region
• Agricultural logistics impact: Potential disruptions to agricultural product transportation and agricultural input supply within La Paz department, a major agricultural region of Bolivia
• Mineral transport delays: Partial blockade of inland transport routes for Bolivia's major export minerals including lithium and zinc

3. Watch points

• Fuel supply normalization progress: Bolivian government's fuel supply improvement measures and progress of negotiations to resolve protests
• Protest expansion: Monitoring potential spread of protests to other regions given that fuel shortages are a nationwide issue
• Transport infrastructure recovery: Tracking reopening timeline of blocked roads and speed of logistics normalization