The administration of US President Donald Trump has issued a statement labeling anti-government protests in Bolivia as an attempted coup against the country’s right-wing president.
On Thursday, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth posted on social media that U.S. military officials “reject any attempt to overthrow the legitimate government” of Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz.
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He also suggested that the protesters, many of whom were teachers, miners, farmers and union members, were colluding with “narco-terrorists,” the Trump administration’s term for drug traffickers.
“The United States is watching. Bolivia must not allow itself to fall prey to the old status quo of narco-terrorist domination in the region,” Hegseth wrote.
The message was the latest sign that the Trump administration plans to continue playing an active role in Latin American politics and security.
Since returning to office for a second term in 2025, President Trump has outlined America’s expansionist plans, with his administration describing the entire Western Hemisphere as a “neighborhood” to patrol.
“This is our hemisphere, and President Trump will not allow our security to be compromised,” the State Department said in January.
The Trump administration also designated several criminal networks in Latin America as “terrorist” organizations.
Earlier this year, President Trump established a security initiative called the Americas Coalition Against Cartels (A3C), which brings together right-wing governments across the region to cooperate on issues such as crime and security, under the umbrella of Shield of the Americas.
Bolivia’s President Paz was one of the leaders who attended the first A3C summit in March.
Domestically, however, his administration is facing a rocky start. Paz won Bolivia’s presidential run-off in October, ending nearly 20 years of rule by the Movement for Socialism (MAS).
The administration quickly moved to mend ties with the United States after they severed in 2008 over disputes over aggressive U.S. anti-drug policies and other issues.
Bolivia is the third largest producer of coca, the raw material for the drug cocaine, but the crop is also used in traditional medicine and Andean rituals. Coca farmers’ unions continue to be a powerful political force in the country.
But some of Mr. Paz’s early moves worried his constituents. For example, in May his government was forced to repeal the land reform law Ley 1720. This law made farmers fear that their small plots of land would be converted into larger holdings.
Mr. Paz’s decision to end fuel subsidies amid rising gasoline prices also sparked a public backlash. Bolivia’s economy has been in turmoil for years due to exports of natural gas, the main local commodity, as well as dwindling foreign exchange reserves.
Since May, protesters have filled roads across Bolivia, blocking roads and clashing with law enforcement.
Some demonstrators have called for Paz’s resignation due to public dissatisfaction, but administration officials have completely denied that possibility.
In the face of public unrest, Paz reshuffled his cabinet and promised a 50 percent pay cut.
On May 27, Bolivia’s parliament gave the green light for military action against demonstrators to lift the blockade. However, protests continue.
Paz expressed support Thursday for the Trump administration, which has encouraged Latin American countries to take tougher measures to combat drug trafficking.
“We will continue to support A3C partners like Bolivia to ensure that narco-terrorists cannot profit from death and destruction in our hemisphere,” Hegseth said.
