Protests in Bolivia Further Escalate

Is Bolivia facing a U.S.-backed assault on its sovereignty or a narco-driven campaign to destabilize democracy?
Protests in Bolivia Further Escalate
Above: Anti-government protesters and police officers in La Paz, Bolivia, on May 18, 2026. Image credit: Radoslaw Czajkowski/picture alliance/Getty Images

The Spin


Establishment-critical narrative

The situation in Bolivia is indeed worrisome as leaked documents confirm that the U.S. and Bolivia are planning a joint operation to either kidnap or kill Evo Morales, with U.S. officials set to command Bolivian military units. In the face of a coordinated foreign-backed assault on the country's sovereignty and indigenous communities, the people are taking action, including seizing Chimoré airport to prevent U.S. aircraft from landing.

Pro-establishment narrative

Bolivia has been gripped by violent blockades, dynamite explosions and attacks on journalists since May 1 — all part of a deliberate campaign to destabilize a democratically elected government. These mobilizations are driven by political networks tied to narco-trafficking and contraband interests that profit from institutional chaos, as well as by the disgraced fugitive Evo Morales.


Metaculus Prediction


© 2026 Improve the News Foundation. All rights reserved.Version 7.13.0

© 2026 Improve the News Foundation.

All rights reserved.

Version 7.13.0