Photo credit: APProtests in Bolivia demanding the resignation of centre-right President Rodrigo Paz escalated on Monday, with violent clashes between police and protesters, road blockades and incidents of looting reported in the capital La Paz, AFP reported.Riot police used tear gas to disperse protesters for hours as demonstrators attempted to storm government buildings. Streets were engulfed in smoke, shops were shut, and supply routes into the capital were disrupted due to ongoing blockades choking access into the city. Demonstrators swarmed government buildings and supplies ran low due to disrupted routes into La Paz. Authorities reported that no official injuries had been recorded, though AFP observed at least two injured protesters, while television reports said more than 100 people had been detained.The protests, led by farmers, miners, teachers, workers and Indigenous groups, have continued for weeks, with demands for wage increases, economic stability and an end to privatisation of state-owned companies. The unrest comes amid Bolivia’s worst economic crisis in four decades, with inflation reaching 14 per cent year-on-year in April. The Andean nation is also facing fuel and supply shortages, with authorities previously airlifting food into the capital due to blocked highways.While calm had partially returned by Monday evening, tensions remained high in La Paz, where protesters accused President Paz of mismanagement. “We want him to resign because he's incompetent. Bolivia is going through a moment of chaos,” 60-year-old farmer Ivan Alarcon was quoted as saying by AFP.Earlier in the day, riot police blocked miners from entering the city’s main square, where government buildings are located, while protesters responded with stones and explosives.Separately, the public prosecutor issued an arrest warrant for Mario Argollo, secretary-general of Bolivia’s largest union COB, accusing him of terrorism and inciting crime. Attorney General Roger Mariaca said the warrant was “in the hands of the general command of the Bolivian Police.” The COB has also joined calls for the resignation of President Paz.Supporters of former president Evo Morales, who governed from 2006 to 2019, also joined the protests, marching into La Paz from Oruro after a seven-day march. The government has accused Morales-aligned groups of fuelling unrest, while economy minister Jose Gabriel Espinoza alleged they were seeking to destabilise the administration. Morales, who has been in hiding since 2024 in the Chapare coca-growing region, expressed solidarity with protesters on social media, calling union leaders victims of “brutal persecution.”Road blockades have left the capital facing shortages, prompting the government to announce a temporary humanitarian corridor and earlier efforts to open blocked highways for limited hours. At least 32 roadblocks were reported across the country, officials said. One protester has died during earlier clashes on Saturday after falling into a ditch, according to authorities.