Bolivia
The Plurinational State of Bolivia
Land
• Area: 1.1 million sq. km. (425,000 sq. mi. - Texas + California )
• Cities: Capital--La Paz (administrative--pop. 800,385); Sucre
(constitutional--292,080). Other major cities--Santa Cruz
(1,486,115), Cochabamba (587,220), El Alto (858,716).
(Population est. 2004.)
– La Paz is the highest of the world’s capital cities--3,600 meters
(11,800 ft.) above sea level.
– The adjacent city of El Alto, at 4,200 meters (13,800 ft.), is one
of the fastest-growing in the hemisphere. Santa Cruz, the
nation’s industrial and commercial hub in the eastern lowlands,
is also experiencing rapid population and economic growth.
• Terrain: High plateau (altiplano), temperate and semi-tropical
valleys, and tropical lowlands.
• Climate: Varies with altitude--from humid and tropical to semi-arid
and cold.
People
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Population (July 2009 est., U.S. State Dept.): 9,775,246.
Annual population growth rate: 1.77%.
Religions: Predominantly Roman Catholic; minority Protestant.
Languages: Spanish, Quechua, Aymara, Guarani.
Education (2001): Years compulsory--ages 7-14. Literacy-86.7%.
• Health (2008): Infant mortality rate--44.6 per 1,000 births.
• Work force (2008, 4.46 million): Nonagricultural employment-2.48 million; services, including government--42%; industry and
commerce--58%.
• Ethnic groups (2001): 55% indigenous (primarily Aymara and
Quechua), 30% mestizo or mixed, 15% European.
Government
• Type: Republic.
• Independence: August 6, 1825.
• Constitution: 1967; revised 1994; voters approved a new
constitution on January 25, 2009.
– Branches: Executive--president and cabinet. Legislative--bicameral.
Judicial--five levels of jurisdiction, headed by Supreme Court with a
separate Constitutional Tribunal, and a National Electoral Court which rules
on matters related to the electoral process.
• Subdivisions: Nine departments (similar to states), headed by
elected governors.
• Major political parties:
– Movement Toward Socialism (MAS), Social Democratic Power
(PODEMOS), Nationalist Revolutionary Movement (MNR), National Unity
(UN), Social Alliance (AS).
– Suffrage: Universal adult (age 18), compulsory.
Economy
• GDP: $18.94 billion.; Annual growth rate: 5.6%; per capita income $4,500.
• Natural resources: Hydrocarbons (natural gas, petroleum); minerals (zinc,
silver, lead, gold, and iron).
– Agriculture (11.3% of GDP): Major products--Soybeans, cotton,
potatoes, corn, sugarcane, rice, wheat, coffee, beef, barley, and
quinoa.
– Arable land--27%.
– Industry (36.9% of GDP): Types--Mineral and hydrocarbon extraction,
manufacturing, commerce, textiles, food processing, chemicals,
plastics, mineral smelting, and petroleum refining.
– Services, including government: 51.8% of GDP.
• Trade: Exports (2008 est.)--$6.8 billion.
• Major export products--natural gas, tin, zinc, coffee, silver, wood, gold,
jewelry, soybeans, and soy products. Major export markets (2007)--U.S.
(9.8%), Brazil (46%), Argentina (5.8%), Republic of Korea (4.8%), Peru
(4.1%), and Japan (7.6%). Imports (2008 est.)--$4.9 billion. Major
products--machinery and transportation equipment, consumer products,
construction and mining equipment. Major suppliers (2007)--U.S. (9.8%),
Argentina (16.2%), Brazil (29.9%), Chile (10.5%), Peru (8.1%).
Source: Perry-Castaneda Map collection, UTAustin
Political History
• 1532-1809 Colonial Rule
• 1809-1879 Independence, resource driven
conflict
• 1879-1884 The War of the Pacific
– resources territory - Chile
• http://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/view/
search?sort=Pub_List_No_InitialSort%2CPub_Dat
e%2CPub_List_No%2CSeries_No&q=bolivia
• http://www.nytimes.com/2002/07/08/world/ling
ering-feud-with-chile-threatens-bolivia-spipeline-plan.html?pagewanted=all
Political History
• 1880-1932 Republican government
• 1932-1951 Chaco war, Revolution
– Resources, territory - Paraguay
• 1952-1982 Revolution to Dictatorship
• 1982 – transition to democracy
Bolivian History
• Republican Era
– 1879-83 War of the Pacific
• Loses coastal access, nitrate fields to Chile
• Late 1800s prosperity, stability –global price of silver
– 1900s tin replaces silver
• Repressed indigenous labor
• Denied education, economic opportunity, political participation
• Laissez faire capitalist economic policies
– 1932-35 Chaco War
• Defeated by Paraguay
• Ruling classes discredited
• New political demands emerge
Bolivian History
• Revolution in 1952, start of democracy
• Nationalist Revolutionary Movement Party (MNR)
• Wins elections in 1951 but denied access to office,
foments revolution
• President Victor Paz Estenssoro
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Introduces universal adult suffrage
Land reform
Rural education
Nationalization of the tin mines
Return to Democracy
• 1964-1985 period of instability, elections and coups.
• 1985 Presidential elections:
– Nationalist Democratic Action Party 33% pop. Vote
– MNR wins 30% pop. Vote
– Movement of the Revolutionary Left (MIR) wins 10%
• In Congressional run off an MNR and MIR alliance brings MNR
party leader and former president Estenssoro to the executive
branch once again.
– Constitutional rule: Congress votes on President without a majority
vote outcome from the popular election.
Estenssoro and other Presidents
• Estenssoro admin1985-89
– economic problems stabilized
• 1989 elections Paz Zamora (MIR and Patriotic Accord alliance)
wins
– Neoliberal economic reforms continued, crackdown on domestic
terrorism
• 1993 elections MNR candidate Sanchez de Lozada
– Economic reform pursued
– “Capitalization” – form of privatization where investors acquired 50%
ownership and management of state firms (oil, telecommunications,
airlines, railroads, electric) with money directed to the pension system
instead of the Treasury
– Very unpopular – protests from 94-96
Other Presidents
• 1997 Gen. Hugo Banzer, ADN party
(Nationalist Democratic Action)
– neoliberal econ reforms continue
– No job creation
– Perception of corruption
– Coca eradication systematic
– Increasing social protests
– 2001 diagnosed with cancer, resigns, dies one year
later
2002-present
• 2002 elections/MNR platform:
– Sanchez de Lozada (MNR) 22.5%
• Job creation, anti-corruption, social inclusion
– Evo Morales (MAS) 20.9% (movement toward socialism)
• Critical moment:
– 9/03 tourists trapped in town of Sorata
– Bolivian security rescue results in deaths of peasants, security forces
– Bolivian protesters pressure government for change on variety of policy areas
• Export of NG through Chile (wop)
• La Paz blockaded, conditions worsened
– Lozada resigns, Oct 2003
– VP Carlos Mesa Gisbert assumes office
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Pledges to reform hydrocarbons law
7/18/04 national referendum on hydrocarbons overwhelmingly passed
5/17/05 Congress passes confiscatory hydrocarbons law
Demonstrations continued
– Mesa resigns May 2005
Evo Morales
• 12/18/05 Evo Morales wins 54% of popular vote.
• Platform:
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Leader of coca growers – end illegalization
Nationalize hydrocarbons
Alleviate poverty/end discrimination
Constituent assembly to reform constitution
• Constitutional reform
– Assembly in place and deliberating
– Issue of regional autonomy (federalization) under
consideration.
Multiculturalism and Constitutional
Reform
• Indigenous peoples have argued that states should
be acknowledged as “multi-cultural”.
• Constitutional reforms should bring the majority into
a “Multinational and pluricultural state”
– A state with the right to participate, representative of the
Original Nations, mestizo, and black peoples, mutual
respect among nations and classes, with equality of
conditions, a state directed by the oppressed and
exploited”(Van Cott 136).
Parallel debate on efficiency
• How to improve government responsiveness?
– Municipal independence
– A form of federalization
– Municipal decentralization:
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Already a bureaucratic entity
Closest to the people
Only viable option for a unitary state like Bolivia
Option to oppose central government
Constitutional reform
• Minority presidents selected by Congress an
overall drain on executive branch legitimacy
– Minority support
– Congressional intervention
– Who is your power base when changes are
necessary?