ANDRIA HALL, CNN ANCHOR: A series of violent protests has led to a state of emergency in Bolivia. The president made the announcement Saturday. CNN's Denise Dillon has details.</s>DENISE DILLON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The announcement came after Bolivia's president decided that week-long protests were beginning to take a toll on the country.</s>RONALD MACLEAN, BOLIVIA INFORMATION MINISTERS (through translator): The Council of Ministers decrees Article One, which is a state of emergency throughout the entire national territory over the next 90 days.</s>DILLON: After the announcement, people in the eastern city of Cochabamba clashed with police and troops. Protesters hurled rocks and petrol bombs, and police responded with tear gas and rubber bullets. Several people were injured. The protests had begun in Cochabamba over the government's plan to raise water rates. The demonstrations expanded as other people joined in, setting up road blocks on major highways and causing traffic snarls across the country. The protests are apparently fueled by unemployment and the country's economic difficulties. In La Paz, 4,000 police officers remained in their barracks and refused to carry out orders. The move came after the government ordered police to put an end to a nine-day hunger strike by some of the policemen's wives. They were demonstrating over better salaries for their husbands. Police have begun making arrests and say they have taken some of the protest leaders into custody. Bolivia's government is refusing to back down on its planned rise in water rates. Under the state of emergency, military forces have been ordered to patrol airports, petrol stations and other key facilities. The measure allows Bolivia's government to restrict travel, political activity and to establish curfews for up to 90 days. At least one of the protest leaders is promising that the demonstrations will intensify. Denise Dillon, CNN.
Violent Protests Lead to State of Emergency in Bolivia