The Briefing:
- Bolivia's largest labor federation, the Central Obrera Boliviana (COB), declared a state of emergency on October 15 after a national assembly in Cochabamba, citing rising living costs, an 83% diesel price surge, and decrees threatening state-company workers with layoffs.
- Decree 5716 ended Bolivia's remaining diesel subsidy, pushing fuel from Bs 9.80 to Bs 17.95 per liter—an 83% jump. A separate decree places 67 state enterprises under review for potential closure, and a third links electricity tariffs to the dollar exchange rate.
- Urban teachers have called a 24-hour national strike for October 23, with daily marches running Tuesday through Thursday. Morales-aligned sectors plan a 90-kilometer march toward La Paz on November 6, though analysts warn the movement is organizationally isolated.
