A 24-year-old cancer patient lost her life in Bolivia because she could not be urgently transferred from the Andean city of Oruro to La Paz to receive radiotherapy treatment due to road blockades in sectors that require the resignation of President Rodrigo PazThe Ministry of Health reported this Tuesday.
The woman suffered from stage IV choriocarcinoma, with persistent tumor bleeding, for which she received radiotherapy, a treatment aimed at stabilizing her condition, said the head of the Oruro Cancer Fight Program, Paola Navarro, according to a statement from the ministry.
Medical personnel and representatives of human rights organizations accompanied the transfer of the patient from Oruro to La Paz on Monday, but she died during the journey because the ambulance had to take alternative routes due to the blockades, the source stated.
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“This fact shows the serious impact that blockades have on access to health services, especially in patients with advanced oncological diseases, who require continuous, specialized and timely care,” the ministry said.
According to the official report, three other cancer patients from Oruro must also be transferred to La Paz for specialized medical care, two women with breast cancer and a man with prostate damage.
“Oncology, chronic and emergency patients cannot wait for conflicts on the road to be resolved, because their condition requires therapeutic continuity, timely transfer and immediate access to specialized services,” the ministry warned.
Furthermore, during conflicts, A 12-year-old boy and three other women died in Mayincluding a citizen of Belize, who did not receive emergency medical attention due to the road closure, according to government reports.
The cities of La Paz, El Alto and Oruro are the hardest hit by road blockades and protests by peasant unions, the Bolivian Workers’ Central (COB) and followers of former president Evo Morales (2006-2019) who demand the resignation of President Paz.
Riot police and Bolivian soldiers confront supporters of former President Evo Morales during a protest in Sacaba, Chapare province, Cochabamba department, on November 15, 2019. (Photo: AFP).
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As a result of this pressure measure, some food, fuel and medical supplies, such as medicinal oxygen, are in short supply in these cities.
The peasant blockades began on May 6 in La Paz and have currently spread to eight of the nine departments of Bolivia, although the Andean area, bordering Peru and Chile, and the center are the most affected.
Businessmen have calculated that the economic damage suffered by road closures causes losses that exceed 1.9 billion dollars, aggravating the crisis that the country has been experiencing since 2023.
The Government tried on two occasions to open “humanitarian corridors” for the passage of food and supplies, but these operations, in which the police and military intervened, led to clashes with protesters and riots.
The dialogue initiatives promoted by the Legislature, the Catholic Church, the Ombudsman’s Office and human rights activists did not prosper either, as the protesters insist that Paz must resign.
