Bolivian Prosecutor’s Office Orders the Arrest of Worker’s Union Leader
The Bolivian Worker’s Union denounces that, instead of listening to the people, Rodrigo Paz’s government “responds with militarization and repression”. Photo: COB.
May 18, 2026 Hour: 7:16 pm
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Bolivia’s Prosecutor’s Office on May 18, issued an arrest warrant for Mario Argollo, Executive Secretary of the Bolivian Workers’ Union (COB, in Spanish) with alleged charges of public instigation to commit crime and terrorism.
The State Attorney General, Roger Mariaca, confirmed this Monday the alleged charges attributed to Mario Argollo. Meanwhile, the Bolivian Workers’ Union vehemently denounced the persecution against its leader and Condemned the police violence used against demonstrators who protested against the central Government.
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The Executive Secretary of the Bolivian Workers’ Union, Mario Argollo, has emerged as one of the most visible figures leading the intense anti-neoliberal mobilizations that have gripped Bolivia over the past few weeks.
These protests have united a broad coalition of sectors, including teachers, peasants, miners, transporters, and other community representatives. Among their numerous demands, the most prominent is the immediate resignation of right-wing President Rodrigo Paz.
Text reads: “Prosecutor orders the arrest of the Executive Secretary of the Bolivian Workers’ Union, Mario Argollo, on the 15th day of the indefinite strike.”
Previously, Argollo had also spoken out against what he termed judicial persecution and had actively called for the continuation of mobilizations in the key cities of La Paz and El Alto.
During a public statement, Argollo asserted that the ongoing judicial processes would not halt the pressure measures, which, he emphasized, seek to defend family economy and natural resources against the central government’s policies. “They will not subdue us in the struggle we have undertaken; they are trying to silence us as leaders with popular actions and criminal charges”, the union leader affirmed, underscoring the Union’s resolve to continue its advocacy despite legal threats.
The Bolivian Workers’ Union further highlighted the Government’s response to the crisis in another public statement. It noted that while the people demand answers and experience the crisis in the streets, the Armed Forces and police officers are being resupplied with tear gas from a Hercules-type aircraft.
“Power responds with militarization and repression instead of listening to the people. History will remember who defended the citizenry and who turned their backs. No force should be above the people or their rights“, the Union declared, sharply criticizing the Government’s approach and drawing a clear line between the state’s actions and the will of the people.
This Monday a massive march of workers, peasants and popular sectors descended from the city of El Alto to La Paz, Bolivia’s administrative capital, which the primary objective to demand the immediate resignation of President Rodrigo Paz. The demonstration further intensifies an indefinite general strike that has virtually encircled the country, with more than 70 road blockades reported across Bolivia.
As of now, reports indicate the detention of at least 57 people during the ongoing unrest. More tragically, at least four demonstrators have been reported killed as security forces attempted to unblock the vital transportation routes.
The arrest warrant for Mario Argollo, combined with the deployment of military and police forces and the reported dead people amid repression, paints a grim picture of a nation deeply divided, where the Government’s efforts to quell dissent are met with increasing popular resistance against anti-neoliberal policies and in defense of fundamental social and economic rights.
Author: Laura V. Mor
Source: Agencies
