Bolivia

19
Bolivia The Plurinational State of Bolivia

description

Bolivia. The Plurinational State of Bolivia. Land. Area: 1.1 million sq. km. (425,000 sq. mi. - Texas + California ) - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Transcript of Bolivia

Page 1: Bolivia

Bolivia

The Plurinational State of Bolivia

Page 2: Bolivia
Page 3: 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.

Page 4: Bolivia

People

• 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.

Page 5: Bolivia

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.

Page 6: Bolivia

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%).

Page 7: Bolivia

Source: Perry-Castaneda Map collection, UT-Austin

Page 9: Bolivia

Political History

• 1880-1932 Republican government• 1932-1951 Chaco war, Revolution

– Resources, territory - Paraguay• 1952-1982 Revolution to Dictatorship• 1982 – transition to democracy

Page 10: Bolivia

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

Page 11: Bolivia

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

– Introduces universal adult suffrage– Land reform– Rural education– Nationalization of the tin mines

Page 12: Bolivia

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.

Page 13: Bolivia

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

Page 14: Bolivia

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

Page 15: Bolivia

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

• 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

Page 16: Bolivia

Evo Morales• 12/18/05 Evo Morales wins 54% of popular vote.• Platform:

– 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.

Page 17: Bolivia

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).

Page 18: Bolivia

Parallel debate on efficiency

• How to improve government responsiveness?– Municipal independence– A form of federalization– Municipal decentralization:

• Already a bureaucratic entity• Closest to the people• Only viable option for a unitary state like Bolivia• Option to oppose central government

Page 19: Bolivia

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?