Businessman from ES who was traveling through Latin America has been trying to leave Bolivia for more than 40 days A businessman and software developer from Vila Velha, in Greater Vitória, who was on a car trip through Latin America with his girlfriend, has been unable to leave Bolivia for more than 40 days due to the wave of protests in the country that have blocked the roads and prevented gas stations from being supplied. ⁉️ Since the beginning of May, Bolivians have been demonstrating against the government of President Rodrigo Paz, who took power six months ago. Among the main demands are changes in agrarian policy and improvements in fuel quality. In response, the police have used bombs and gas, which increases tension in the country. 📲 Click here to follow the g1 ES channel on WhatsApp Faced with the Bolivian crisis, Rafael Darrouy, 40, and his girlfriend (who prefers not to be identified), had to interrupt the trip they had been on since November 2025 and stay in Sucre, the country's constitutional capital. Furthermore, the businessman, who celebrated his birthday on the 10th, was unable to bury his own father, Marcelo Enrique Darrouy Manieu, who died last Tuesday (9), after spending days in hospital following a heart attack. "We entered Bolivia on March 26th and our intention was to stay here for 30 or 40 days to rest. That was the idea: stop here in Sucre and then go to the Bolivian Amazon, La Paz, Peru, continue the journey. But, from the 1st (of May) these protests started", said Rafael. Rafael Darrouy and his girlfriend had been traveling by car through Latin America since November 2025, but had to interrupt their journey in the city of Sucre. Reproduction The man from Espírito Santo and his partner, who is from Paraná, left the south of Brazil, went to Ushuaia, in Argentine Patagonia, passed through Chile and had the objective of reaching the Caribbean. However, the couple is unable to travel due to the lack of fuel and also land blockages. "Sucre is surrounded and in the last three weeks, if I'm not mistaken, things have intensified. The city has been completely blocked," said the businessman. The couple also has their tourist visas and permission to drive their car in foreign territory about to expire on the 24th. And this has made them even more worried. Itamaraty was contacted by g1 to find out if any measures were being taken so that the Brazilian couple could leave Bolivia, but did not return at the time of this publication. Blockades prevented Espírito Santo from saying goodbye to his father In the midst of the Bolivian crisis, on June 1st, Rafael received the news that his father had been admitted to a hospital. "I started trying to figure out a way to get out of here, but it's all very risky, there's no fuel", reported the man from Espírito Santo. In addition to the lack of supply at gas stations in the country, according to the businessman there is difficulty in accessing official information and instructions. "In a strange country, you get a little lost with the information. So, the information was that Brazilians had already been injured in blockades. And then I thought: 'I'm not going to try, I'm going to stay here'. I followed from a distance, I thought my father would get better, but he suddenly passed away." Based on a map system that indicates the trafficability of Bolivia's main roads, from the Administradora Boliviana de Rodovias, there are currently at least 70 land blockades resulting from "social conflicts". The Bolivian Highway Administration's mapping system shows roadblocks across the country. Reproduction Expiration of documents With the interruption of the couple's trip, the validity of Rafael and his girlfriend's documents is coming to an end. To resolve the situation, the businessman contacted the city's immigration department on Thursday (11). However, he was unable to find a solution. "There is widespread confusion, because immigration cannot tell me what needs to be done. I went there twice and then the only thing they told me was that there is no legal provision for this situation. They told me that if I don't leave, I will be fined", said Rafael. Upon receiving information that he would be fined if he did not leave the country in time, Rafael sought out the Brazilian Embassy in Bolivia. The agency, in turn, issued a letter requesting that the Bolivian authorities extend the visa of the man from Espírito Santo and his partner, as well as the permission for the car. "I intend to go there (immigration department) on Monday (15) again to try to resolve this problem, because we are afraid of losing the car, because it would be an illegal import." Faced with difficulties and uncertainties, the couple has been advised, both by Brazilian authorities in the country, and by the owner of the property where they are staying, to remain in Bolivia and try to resolve the document procedures in a legal manner. "The owner of the property where I'm staying works in construction and she told me that her husband, to go from one city to another, a few kilometers away, is taking 12, even 16 hours, because he needs to go along dirt roads. And it seems that he came across some of these roadblocks and was attacked", he reported. The Bolivian Highway Administration's mapping system shows roadblocks across the country. Reproduction Daily life in Bolivia In addition to the lack of gasoline in the country, Rafael said that, in Sucre, garbage collection was also stopped. "So, we have to walk a few blocks to be able to throw out the trash, because there is no diesel," explained the businessman. Despite this, he says he feels relieved to be in a city that "produces what it consumes". The basis of food in Sucre is family farming and, therefore, there are no food shortages. "The situation here where I am is not worse because of family farming. I keep thinking that if this country had a system of large-scale industrial agriculture, large-scale industrial agriculture, perhaps we would be experiencing shortages, because then it would be necessary to supply the cities via highways." According to Rafael, even with the tense atmosphere, Bolivians, contrary to what he and his girlfriend have been doing, take to the streets normally. "Yesterday (Saturday) and the day before yesterday (Friday), I was able to look at the city. It seems normal to me, it seems to me that things are going normally, people were on the street, they were in the squares, normally", said the Espírito Santo. Rafael Darrouy has been trying to leave Bolivia for more than 40 days. Reproduction By reflecting on the situation he finds himself in and also realizing the reality of the people around him, Rafael expressed a political vision about what has been happening in Bolivia. For him, powers such as the United States and Europe are, to a large extent, responsible for "destabilizing" Latin American countries. "I think that Latin American countries have to solve their problems internally, they have to have autonomy and sovereignty to be able to solve their problems, make their decisions. I think that what I am suffering here is a reflection of a historical destabilization that is happening in Latin America. So, as a Brazilian, I tend to be supportive of the situation in Bolivia", concludes the Espírito Santo. Videos: everything about the Holy Spirit See the latest news from g1 Espírito Santo