OAS High-Level Mission Report Reaffirms Support for Bolivia’s Democratic Order and Calls for Dialogue and Social Cohesion

Press Release

OAS High-Level Mission Report Reaffirms Support for Bolivia's Democratic Order and Calls for Dialogue and Social Cohesion

The High-Level Mission of the Member States of the Organization of American States (OAS), which visited the Plurinational State of Bolivia in late July, today presented, through OAS Secretary General Albert R. Ramdin, its report to the Permanent Council.

The report details the results of its visit containing nine recommendations aimed at fostering dialogue, social cohesion, and stability in the country.

The Mission was deployed pursuant to resolution AG/RES. 3052 (LVI-O/26),
"Situation in the Plurinational State of Bolivia," adopted by the OAS General Assembly in Panama City in June. Its mandate included engaging directly with State authorities and representatives of social, indigenous, labor, business, academic, media, and civil society sectors following 53 days of social unrest, with a view to helping preserve democratic institutions and promote peaceful solutions within Bolivia's constitutional framework.

The Mission, which visited the cities of La Paz and Santa Cruz de la Sierra on July 29 and 30, 2026, was composed of representatives of Argentina, Canada, Chile, the United States, Panama, Peru, and Uruguay, together with OAS Secretary General Albert R. Ramdin. Its deployment reflected the timely commitment of the Secretary General and member states to assist Bolivia at a moment when unrest was affecting the country's stability and the daily lives of its people.

The report identifies important points of convergence among the different sectors consulted. First, it identifies broad agreement on the importance of preserving Bolivia's constitutional and democratic order and respecting mandates resulting from electoral processes. The report highlights that such mandates "must be respected in their entirety and cannot be altered through avenues other than the institutional mechanisms provided for in Bolivia's constitutional order."

The Mission also called for the broadest possible dialogue among the Government and all sectors of Bolivian society to overcome polarization, prevent further conflict, and build greater social cohesion. It emphasized that dialogue and the legitimate exercise of social protest are fully compatible with the shared responsibility to protect democracy, institutional stability, and the rights of the population as a whole.

The Mission expressed its profound sorrow over the tragic loss of human life during the period of unrest. It stressed that the Bolivian State, political and social actors, and society as a whole share responsibility for safeguarding the country's democracy and sustaining a broad and inclusive dialogue process. The report recognizes the legitimate exercise of social protest while also emphasizing the need to protect life, ensure access to essential services and supplies, and safeguard the fundamental rights of all Bolivians.

The report sets forth nine principal recommendations:

• Establish a broad agreement in support of democratically generated mandates and the country's constitutional order, reaffirming that social demands must be advanced with respect for these principles and without the use of violence to seek to alter democratic institutions or their respective mandates.
• Establish a permanent and plural mechanism for dialogue between the State and the different sectors of society, with the participation of indigenous, rural workers, labor, business, and civil society organizations.
• Build, through an inclusive dialogue process involving all social and political actors, a framework of understanding that enables the early prevention of social conflict, strengthens the rule of law, fundamental freedoms, and democratic institutions, and guarantees both the exercise of the right to protest and that such protest does not endanger the lives of others or impede the movement of essential inputs, services, and supplies.
• Advance the effective participation of social organizations, particularly indigenous and rural workers´ organizations, in the drafting of laws and public policies that directly affect them.
• Protect the right to peaceful protest while also guaranteeing the rights of third parties to life, health, food, freedom of movement, and access to other essential services, including through measures to protect critical infrastructure and establish humanitarian and logistics corridors during future periods of protest.
• Analyze the adoption of effective measures to support the country's economic recovery, including the development of a regulatory framework conducive to attracting investment and mechanisms to increase the resilience of productive, commercial, and service sectors.
• Strengthen protections and guarantees for the practice of journalism and freedom of expression, including the adoption of a law on access to public information consistent with applicable inter-American standards.
• Continue and deepen investigations into acts of violence that occurred during the period of unrest, with full respect for due process and for the rights of victims and people prosecuted.
• Strengthen the monitoring, mediation, conflict-prevention, conflict-management, and crisis-management capacities of the Office of the Ombudsperson and consider promoting a reform aimed at bringing greater transparency to the country's justice system.

"The central purpose of this Mission was to support Bolivia's democratic and constitutional order and the sovereign will expressed by its people at the ballot box," said Secretary General Ramdin. "Dialogue, including the participation of social movements, the private sector, academia, civil society, and different political perspectives, is essential to addressing legitimate demands, always within the constitutional framework and with full respect for the rights of all Bolivians. The people of Bolivia and their democratically elected Government will continue to count on the support of the Organization of American States," he added.

At the same meeting, Bolivia's Minister of the Presidency, Fernando Aramayo, stated: "Bolivia welcomes these recommendations with a commitment to turn them into state policies, transforming the lessons of this crisis into an opportunity to strengthen our institutions and revive the economy."
"A mature democracy must guarantee the right to peaceful assembly, while also protecting the majority who are not protesting and ensuring that elected authorities exercise their mandate within the constitutional framework. We are committed to continuing along this path of defending democracy and fully upholding rights," he added.

The Mission concluded that Bolivia is at "a favorable moment for national consensus-building" which, if appropriately utilized by the State and society as a whole, could strengthen democratic institutions and contribute to laying more solid foundations for the country's comprehensive development.

The OAS reiterated its willingness to accompany Bolivia, at the request of the Bolivian state, in advancing inclusive dialogue and strengthening democratic institutions, as well as to provide technical support for dialogue and institutional reform processes.

More information on the Mission available here.

Reference: E-095/26