Travelers in Bolivia and nearby Peru, are facing highway blockades due to protests and demonstrations against Bolivian President Evo Morales’ attempt at changing the constitution. The U.S. is organizing two evacuation flights to Peru for Americans in the area, as negotiations over the illegal drug trade break down.
I found a few TravelPod bloggers in the area, writing about their difficulties and venting their frustrations.
Seankervin was right in the middle the protests in Sucre, Bolivia. He was blocked from entering the city, but managed to make it in when the blockades came down during a popular festival. He took some amazing shots of the locals setting off fireworks and dancing in the streets. Unfortunately, he had to leave after only two days due to the impending blockade.
“Sucre was under blockade for a week, so I couldn’t get in – but they opened it for a one of their festivals so I dashed in to visit the capital of the Spanish East and party Bolivian style! The other nice thing is that they announce the blockades a day in advance – so I had 2 days to enjoy Sucre before I had to dash out again.”
- Parties and Political Unrest from Sucre, Bolivia, by Seankervin
Travelhob finds himself back in Peru after finding blockades in Bolivia and hearing about more from other travelers in the area.
“Ah, yes, back in Peru now due to the very tense political situation currently in Bolivia, Joe and I decided not to venture any further into the country. Lots of protests and strikes and blockades. I heard from a couple I was on the Colca Canyon trek with and they are stuck in Rurrenabaque in Bolivia. The place is blockaded nothing going in nothing going out and they are supposed to be getting a flight from La Paz to Chile to make a flight to NZ! and, so I have heard, La Paz airport has been shut now for 4-5 days due to fuel blockades!! All good fun. Another girl I met in Arequipa had been stuck in Sucre Bolivia for 10 days due to a blockade too!!”
- From the bad lands, from Puno, Peru, by Travelhob
On the other hand, Andread finds herself having the time of her life in La Paz, after briefly worrying about the political situation in the southeast.
Keep your fingers crossed for us that the road blocks and protests going on in Southeast Bolivia don’t spread to La Paz and Lake Titicaca. Checking reports from tourists in Bolivia right now, things are absolutely fine in the areas we’re going to. I’m not really worried about the security of the situation, more so that we have a relatively tight travel schedule, and if there are any road blocks it could throw things off. Though from what I hear of Bolivia, they tend to let the tour buses through the roadblocks anyway.
- Our wallets are slowly recovering from Rio, from Lima, Peru, by Andread
