Bolivias President Announces Plan to Reduce Salary by 50 Percent

Bolivia’s President Announces Pay Cuts Amid Ongoing Protests

Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz has announced that he will reduce his salary and those of his cabinet ministers by half, citing the government’s commitment to the country. The move comes as Bolivia enters its fourth week of political unrest, marked by protests and roadblocks demanding Paz’s resignation.

Paz made the announcement at an event in Sucre, the constitutional capital of Bolivia, on Monday. The pay cuts are part of a broader effort to address growing supply-chain issues caused by the protests. Cities such as La Paz and El Alto have been affected, with shortages of food, fuel, and medicine impacting markets, hospitals, and petrol stations.

Protesters have been demanding that Paz’s centrist government roll back austerity measures and address rising living costs. Their demands include increasing wages and restoring a fuel subsidy that had kept prices at 2006 levels. The protests are also driven by concerns about the president’s perceived alignment with big business and elites, as well as his cabinet composition.

Paz took office in November and inherited an economy in turmoil. He has defended spending cuts and fuel subsidy reductions as necessary to stabilise public finances. The pay cuts announced by Paz will take effect immediately, and are expected to be followed by further measures to address the country’s economic challenges.

Source: Al Jazeera