Land Reform in Bolivia
Demographics
– Bolivian population: 9,119,152 (July ’07 est.)
• Ethnic groups:
–
–
–
–
Quechua: 30%
Mestizo (mixed white & Amerindian ancestry): 30%
Aymara: 25%
White: 15%
CIA – The World Factbook – Bolivia
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/bl.html
Employment
• Labor force:
– 4.793 million (2006 est.) (while having a population of
9.119 million)
• Unemployment rate:
– 8% in urban areas; widespread underemployment
(2006)
• GDP – composition by sector:
• Agriculture: 14.5%
• Industry: 30.5%
• Services: 55% (2006 est.)
CIA – The World Factbook – Bolivia
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/bl.html
Bolivia’s economy
• Natural resources:
• Tin, natural gas, petroleum, zinc, tungsten,
antimony, silver,iron, lead, gold, timber,
hydropower
• Agriculture - products
• Soybeans, coffee, cocoa, cotton, corn, sugarcane,
rice, potatoes, timber
• Industries:
• Mining, smelting, petroleum, food & beverages,
tobacco, handicrafts, clothing
CIA – The World Factbook – Bolivia
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/bl.html
Household income & consumption by % share
•
Bolivia:
•
– Household income or consumption by
percentage share:
• Lowest 10%: 0.3%
• Highest 10%: 47.2% (2002)
Chile:
• Household income or consumption
by percentage share:
• Lowest 10%: 1.4%
• Highest 10%: 45% (2003)
• Population below poverty line:
• 18.2% (2006 est.)
– Population below poverty line:
• 60% (2006 est.)
•
Peru:
• Household income or consumption
by percentage share:
• Lowest 10%: 1.3%
• Highest 10%: 40.9% (2003)
• Population below poverty line:
• 44.5% (2006 est.)
CIA – The World Factbook – Bolivia, Chile, & Peru
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/bl.html
Brief History of Bolivia
• Pre-Columbian Civilizations (600-1532)
– Aymara kingdoms
• Based on systems of extended family and tribal farming
cooperatives.
– In around 1460, the Incas conquered the Aymara.
• Incan had a socially rigid pyramid structure of classes that
exploited agriculture.
• Land was held “in common” and prohibited to be sold.
• Incas royal class had monopolies over the forest, mines, and
herds and flocks.
• The harvest was divided into three parts: Inca and ruling
caste, the priests, and the ayllu agricultural cooperatives.
Brief History of Bolivia (cont.)
• Spanish Colonial Rule (1532-1809)
– Mineral wealth such as silver and mercury deposits in parts of
Bolivia such as Potosi attracted the Spaniards.
• 1600s – 1800s: Mining dominated the colonial economy.
– Spanish aristocrats lived in comfort, while massive
amount of Indians lived in poverty.
– Encomienda – a colonial institution that served to consolidate the
conquest by granting the possession of land tracts and the
power to administer the inhabitants of the territories to …
– Loyal adelantados (Spanish governors of provinces)
– Solider of the crown
– Mitas – a system of forced tribute labor by the Indians that
assured the crown abundant free labor for state & private
enterprises
Brief History of Boliva (cont.)
• Encomienda & mitas –
• developed into harsh system of colonial control
• exploited the Indians turning them into mere serf labor
• landowners eventually gained ownership of Indian communal lands
» & exert complete command of Indians labor.
• Encomienda was originally intended for only 1 or 2 generations
– But, by the 18th century it became outright land grants
– Encomiendas were gradually replaced by large haciendas of land
privately owned by a wealthy colonial aristocracy
– while Indians were turned into massive class of serfs & sharecroppers
» permitted to use small subsistence plot in exchange for a portion of the
harvest and their labor to the landlord (hacendado).
– Landowning system
– represented a feudal or semifeudal society
» hacendado exercised complete political, social, & economic power, often
harshly
Brief History of Boliva (cont.)
• Aug. 6, 1825 became the official date of
independence & creation of the Republic
of Bolivia
Unequal Land Distribution
• Estimated 110 million
hectares ( 1 hectare is 2.47
acres) of potentially
productive land
• 70% in the hands of 400
individuals who claim over
100,000 hectares each
• 25% in the hands of mid to
large sized agricultural
producers
• 5% of agricultural land are in
the hands of the poor
Land to be distributed
• In May 2006 Morales
launched its land reform
program
• Morales presented land titles
for 3 million hectares to 60
indigenous communities
and groups
• 2.5 million rural poor will
receive title to 20 million
hectares over five years
• Constitutes about 13% of
Bolivia's land being given to
about 28% of the people
Land conflict in the eastern region
• Fear government will reclaim
land
• Program enraged huge
landowners
– Pledge to form self
defense groups
• Concerned of widespread
migration of land recipients
from the west to Santa Cruz