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US says it is ramping up emergency assistance in Bolivia amid protests

By Reuters Reuters
Law enforcement officers use tear gas on demonstrators during a march calling for the resignation of Bolivia's President Rodrigo Paz, as the country's economic and fuel crisis worsens due to a shortage of U.S. dollars and falling domestic energy production, in La Paz, Bolivia May 18, 2026. REUTERS/Claudia Morales
Law enforcement officers use tear gas on demonstrators during a march calling for the resignation of Bolivia's President Rodrigo Paz, as the country's economic and fuel crisis worsens due to a shortage of U.S. dollars and falling domestic energy production, in La Paz, Bolivia May 18, 2026. REUTERS/Claudia Morales Claudia Morales Reuters

WASHINGTON - U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz in a call on Thursday that the Trump administration was ramping up emergency assistance and support to help with food and medical shortages amid weeks of social unrest and mass protests in the South American country, the department said.

"Rubio reaffirmed that the Trump Administration will continue to stand with Bolivia as it works toward stability, security, and a better future for all Bolivians," U.S. State Department Spokesperson Tommy Pigott said in a statement.

(Reporting by Christian Martinez in Los Angeles; Writing by Ismail Shakil; Editing by Daphne Psaledakis)

Copyright Reuters or USA Today Network via Reuters Connect.

This story was originally published June 4, 2026 at 2:24 PM.

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