Government sources reported that Bolivian Defense Minister Marcelo Salinas resigned on June 2, marking the highest-level departure from President Rodrigo Paz's government yet amid month-long anti-government protests, Reuters reported the same day. Sources indicate that Ernesto Justiniano, a vice minister involved in anti-drug trafficking, is set to replace Salinas, though this has not been formally announced.

Anti-government protests began in early May, with various groups issuing specific demands and calling for Paz's resignation. Labor unions launched strikes to demand wage increases, transportation and agricultural workers called for improved fuel availability and quality, and mining unions protested the lack of access to needed equipment, including dynamite. Supporters of former left-wing President Evo Morales and Indigenous activists have also joined the protests. Education Minister Beatriz Garcia also resigned on June 2, while Labor Minister Edgar Morales resigned in May.