LA PAZ, May 27 (Xinhua) -- A law repealing restrictions on the Bolivian government's ability to declare a state of emergency took effect on Wednesday, according to the Government Gazette.
Law 1732 abrogated Law 1341, a norm regulating states of emergency that officials and business groups had criticized as limiting the government's capacity to respond to unrest and public-order crises.
The legislation was approved by the legislature and enacted by President Rodrigo Paz.
The move comes as Bolivia enters its fourth consecutive week of protest marches and road blocking organized by groups affiliated with the Bolivian Workers' Central, which is the chief trade union federation in the country, as well as anti-government demonstrations by farmers, indigenous communities, miners, teachers and neighborhood associations.
Some business and civic groups have called for a state of emergency to clear roadblocks and restore the transport of supplies to the country's major cities.
Paz said he wanted to find solutions through dialogue but would not rule out other options.
The Bolivian Constitution empowers the president to declare a state of emergency in all or part of the country when there are threats to security or public order.
At least 70 roadblocks remained in place as of Wednesday in six of the country's nine departments, with the highest concentration in western Bolivia, according to data from the state-run Bolivian Highway Administration.
Protests have severely disrupted supplies of food, fuel and medicine in major cities, including La Paz and El Alto, while transport operators, merchants and agricultural producers have reported millions of U.S. dollars in losses due to blocked roads and disruptions to economic activity. ■
