Border gridlock - Thousands of trucks stranded at Peru crossing as Bolivia blockades choke trade and pile pressure on Paz

"Long queues of heavy vehicles remained stranded on routes into Bolivia on Saturday, particularly near the Binational Border Care Centre in the Peruvian border city of Desaguadero, as roadblocks and protests continued across Bolivia. Footage shows lines of trucks parked along the roadside waiting to cross the border. Bolivian driver Miguel Mamani said he had been stranded for ten days while waiting for authorities to restore access into the country. "The situation in Bolivia is quite difficult. There are conflicts, and some people support the blockade while others do not. But those most affected are us, the transport workers. We have been left exposed to the weather, and it has been very hard for us," he said. Mamani added that many drivers were struggling to access food, water, medicine and basic sanitary facilities after spending days stuck on the roads. "We have been here waiting for a solution, but there are no proper services. We can find some food, but there are no toilets or sanitary facilities nearby," he said. Bolivian trader Maciel Herrera said she had also been stranded at the border for ten days and accused protest organisers of turning the crisis political. "We want to work. We need to earn a living. Many people live day to day, and many families have been sleeping on the street with their children," she said. Herrera added that trade between Bolivia and Peru had been severely disrupted by the blockades. "Commerce is completely dead. Businesses have been forced to close, there is no food, and children are getting sick. Trade on both the Bolivian and Peruvian sides has been badly affected," she added. The Departmental Chamber of Transport of La Paz said on Wednesday that around 5,000 heavy trucks remained stranded on Bolivian roads because of protests and blockades that have continued for more than a week. Demonstrators blocked critical transit routes across the country, including key international lifelines to Peru and Chile, as part of a widening movement calling for the resignation of President Rodrigo Paz, whose sweeping economic reforms triggered intense nationwide backlash. "

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