Following the arrest of the regional governor, a right-wing opposition leader, protesters in Bolivia’s Santa Cruz, a comparatively wealthy farming region, attacked buildings, burned cars, and blocked roads as part of a 24-hour strike on Friday.
As dusk fell, protesters set tyres and cars on fire and threw fireworks at police, who then used tear gas to try and disperse the crowds.
In a tweet, Pedro Vaca, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights’ (IACHR) Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression, reported receiving reports of ‘severe attacks’ on the media that were allegedly carried out by police deployments.
I urge the authorities to publicly instruct their representatives on the responsibility to uphold freedoms of the press, peaceful assembly, and association, the man said.
Peaceful protestors had blocked roads with tyres, rocks, and flags strung across streets throughout the city during the day.
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