Key facts
- US and Shield of the Americas coalition condemned efforts to overthrow Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz.
- The statement denounced street blockades and funding from drug trafficking.
- The coalition expressed support for Paz's democratically elected government.
- Unrest in Bolivia is linked to economic inflation and rising fuel prices.
- Former President Evo Morales called for early elections.
The United States, alongside Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guyana, Honduras, Panama, Paraguay, and Trinidad and Tobago, collectively known as the Shield of the Americas, issued a joint statement condemning what they described as 'ongoing efforts' to overthrow the 'legitimately and overwhelmingly elected' government of Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz. The statement denounced attempts to prevent the delivery of essential supplies through 'fake road blockades' and criticized the use of 'dirty money' from drug trafficking and transnational crime to fund protests. The coalition affirmed its support for Paz's democratic government, emphasizing that 'mob rule cannot replace the decision that a majority of Bolivians made at the ballot box.'