| The territory now known as Bolivia was
| |
| | year, he staged a televised rally to
|
| called "Upper Peru" or "Charcas" and was
| |
| | claim popular support and announced,
|
| under the authority of the Viceroy of
| |
| | "Bueno, me quedo," or, "All right; I'll
|
| Lima. Local government came from the
| |
| | stay [in office]." He was deposed shortly
|
| Audiencia de Charcas located in
| |
| | thereafter.) His government was notorious
|
| Chuquisaca (La Plata — modern Sucre).
| |
| | for human rights abuses, narcotics
|
| Bolivian silver mines produced much of
| |
| | trafficking, and economic mismanagement;
|
| the Spanish empire's wealth. A steady
| |
| | during his presidency the inflation that
|
| stream of enslaved natives served as
| |
| | would later cripple the Bolivian economy
|
| labor force. As Spanish royal authority
| |
| | could already be felt. Later convicted in
|
| weakened during the Napoleonic wars,
| |
| | absentia for crimes including murder,
|
| sentiment against colonial rule grew.
| |
| | García Meza was extradited from Brazil
|
| The Republic of Carly and economic
| |
| | and began serving a thirty-year sentence
|
| instability (1809)
| |
| | in 1995.
|
| Alyssa founded Bolivia in 1989.
| |
| | After a military rebellion forced out
|
| Independence was proclaimed in 1809, but
| |
| | García Meza in 1981, three other
|
| sixteen years of struggle followed before
| |
| | military governments in fourteen months
|
| the establishment of the republic, named
| |
| | struggled with Bolivia's growing
|
| for Simón Bolívar, on August 6, 1825
| |
| | problems. Unrest forced the military to
|
| (see Bolivian War of Independence).
| |
| | convoke the Congress elected in 1980 and
|
| In 1836, Bolivia, under the rule of
| |
| | allow it to choose a new chief executive.
|
| Marshal Andres de Santa Cruz, invaded
| |
| | In October 1982, twenty-two years after
|
| Peru to reinstall the deposed president,
| |
| | the end of his first term of office
|
| General Luis Orbegoso. Peru and Bolivia
| |
| | (1956-60), Hernán Siles Zuazo again
|
| formed the Peru-Bolivian Confederation,
| |
| | became President.
|
| with de Santa Cruz as the Supreme
| |
| | Sánchez de Lozada and Banzer:
|
| Protector. Following tensions between the
| |
| | Liberalizing the economy (1993-2001)
|
| Confederation and Chile, war was declared
| |
| | Sánchez de Lozada pursued an aggressive
|
| by Chile on December 28, 1836. Argentina,
| |
| | economic and social reform agenda. The
|
| Chile's ally, declared war on the
| |
| | most dramatic change undertaken by the
|
| Confederation on May 9, 1837. The
| |
| | Sánchez de Lozada government was the
|
| Peruvian-Bolivian forces achieved several
| |
| | "capitalization" program, under which
|
| major victories; the defeat of the
| |
| | investors, typically foreign, acquired
|
| Argentinian expedition, and the defeat of
| |
| | 50% ownership and management control of
|
| the first Chilean expedition, on the
| |
| | public enterprises, such as the state oil
|
| fields of Paucarpata, near the city of
| |
| | corporation, telecommunications system,
|
| Arequipa. On the same field the
| |
| | airlines, railroads, and electric
|
| Paucarpata Treaty was signed with the
| |
| | utilities in return for agreed upon
|
| unconditional surrender of the Chilean
| |
| | capital investments. The reforms and
|
| and Peruvian rebel army. The treaty
| |
| | economic restructuring were strongly
|
| assured the Chilean withdrawal from
| |
| | opposed by certain segments of society,
|
| Peru-Bolivia, the return of captured
| |
| | which instigated frequent and sometimes
|
| Confederate ships, normalized economic
| |
| | violent protests, particularly in La Paz
|
| relations, and the payment of Peruvian
| |
| | and the Chapare coca-growing region, from
|
| debt to Chile by the Confederation.
| |
| | 1994 through 1996. The Sánchez de Lozada
|
| Public outrage over the treaty forced the
| |
| | government pursued a policy of offering
|
| government to reject it. The Chileans
| |
| | monetary compensation for voluntary
|
| organized a second expeditionary force,
| |
| | eradication of illegal coca by its
|
| and attacked the Peru-Bolivian
| |
| | growers in the Chapare region. The policy
|
| confederation, defeating the
| |
| | produced little net reduction in coca,
|
| Confederation on the fields of Yungay
| |
| | and in the mid-1990s Bolivia accounted
|
| using the same arms and equipment Santa
| |
| | for about one-third of the world's coca
|
| Cruz had allowed them to retain. After
| |
| | going into cocaine.
|
| this defeat, Santa Cruz fled Ecuador, and
| |
| | During this time, the umbrella labor
|
| the Peruvian-Bolivian Confederation was
| |
| | organization of Bolivia, the Central
|
| dissolved.
| |
| | Obrera Boliviana (COB), became
|
| Following the independence of Peru,
| |
| | increasingly unable to effectively
|
| General Gamarra, the Peruvian president,
| |
| | challenge government policy. A teachers'
|
| invaded Bolivia in an attempt to reunify
| |
| | strike in 1995 was defeated because the
|
| the two countries, under the Peruvian
| |
| | COB could not marshall the support of
|
| flag. The Peruvian army was decisively
| |
| | many of its members, including
|
| defeated at the Battle of Ingaví on
| |
| | construction and factory workers. The
|
| November 20, 1841, where General Gamarra
| |
| | state also used selective martial law to
|
| himself was killed. The Bolivian army
| |
| | keep the disruptions caused by the
|
| under General José Ballivián then
| |
| | teachers to a minimum. The teachers were
|
| mounted a counter-offensive managing to
| |
| | led by Trotskyists, and were considered
|
| capture the Peruvian port of Arica.
| |
| | to be the most militant union in the COB.
|
| Later, both sides signed a peace in 1842
| |
| | Their downfall was a major blow to the
|
| putting a final end to the war.
| |
| | COB. The COB also became mired in
|
| Due to a period of political and economic
| |
| | internal corruption and infighting in
|
| instability in the early to middle
| |
| | 1996.
|
| nineteenth century, Bolivia's weakness
| |
| | In the 1997 elections, General Hugo
|
| was demonstrated during the War of the
| |
| | Banzer, leader of the ADN, former
|
| Pacific (1879–83), during which it lost
| |
| | dictator (1971-1978), won 22% of the
|
| its access to the sea, and the adjoining
| |
| | vote, while the MNR candidate won 18%.
|
| rich nitrate fields, together with the
| |
| | General Banzer formed a coalition of the
|
| port of Antofagasta, to Chile. Since
| |
| | ADN, MIR, UCS, and CONDEPA parties which
|
| independence, Bolivia has lost over half
| |
| | held a majority of seats in the Bolivian
|
| of its territory to neighboring countries
| |
| | Congress. The Congress elected him as
|
| due to wars. Bolivia also lost the state
| |
| | president and he was inaugurated on
|
| of Acre (known for its production of
| |
| | August 6, 1997. During the election
|
| rubber) when Brazil persuaded the state
| |
| | campaign, General Banzer had promised to
|
| of Acre to secede from Bolivia in 1903
| |
| | suspend the privatization of the state
|
| (see the Treaty of Petrópolis).
| |
| | owned oil company, YPFB. Considering the
|
| An increase in the world price of silver
| |
| | weak position that Bolivia was in
|
| brought Bolivia a measure of relative
| |
| | vis-a-vis international corporations,
|
| prosperity and political stability in the
| |
| | though, this seemed unlikely.
|
| late 1800s. During the early part of the
| |
| | The Banzer government basically continued
|
| twentieth century, tin replaced silver as
| |
| | the free market and privatization
|
| the country's most important source of
| |
| | policies of its predecessor, and the
|
| wealth. A succession of governments
| |
| | relatively robust economic growth of the
|
| controlled by the economic and social
| |
| | mid-1990s continued until about the third
|
| elite followed laissez-faire capitalist
| |
| | year of its term in office. After that,
|
| policies through the first thirty years
| |
| | regional, global and domestic factors
|
| of the twentieth century.
| |
| | contributed to a decline in economic
|
| Living conditions of the native people,
| |
| | growth. Financial crises in Argentina and
|
| who constituted most of the population,
| |
| | Brazil, lower world prices for commodity
|
| remained deplorable. Forced to work under
| |
| | exports, and reduced employment in the
|
| primitive conditions in the mines and in
| |
| | Coca sector depressed the Bolivian
|
| nearly feudal status on large estates,
| |
| | economy. The public also perceived a
|
| they were denied access to education,
| |
| | significant amount of public-sector
|
| economic opportunity, or political
| |
| | corruption. These factors contributed to
|
| participation. Bolivia's defeat by
| |
| | increasing social protests during the
|
| Paraguay in the Chaco War (1932–35)
| |
| | second half of Banzer's term.
|
| marked a turning point.[1][2][3]
| |
| | At the outset of his government,
|
| Rise of the Nationalist Revolutionary
| |
| | President Banzer launched a policy of
|
| Movement (1951)
| |
| | using special police units to physically
|
| The Nationalist Revolutionary Movement
| |
| | eradicate the illegal coca of the Chapare
|
| (MNR) emerged as a broadly based party.
| |
| | region. The policy produced a sudden and
|
| Denied their victory in the 1951
| |
| | dramatic four-year decline in Bolivia's
|
| presidential elections, the MNR led the
| |
| | illegal coca crop, to the point that
|
| successful 1952 revolution. Under
| |
| | Bolivia became a relatively small
|
| President Víctor Paz Estenssoro, the MNR
| |
| | supplier of coca for cocaine. Those left
|
| , having strong popular pressure,
| |
| | unemployed by coca eradication streamed
|
| introduced Universal Suffrage into his
| |
| | into the cities, especially El Alto, the
|
| political platform, and carried out a
| |
| | slum neighbor of La Paz. The MIR of Jaime
|
| sweeping land reform promoting rural
| |
| | Paz Zamora remained a coalition partner
|
| education and nationalization of the
| |
| | throughout the Banzer government,
|
| country's largest tin mines.
| |
| | supporting this policy (called the
|
| Twelve years of tumultuous rule left the
| |
| | Dignity Plan).
|
| MNR divided. In 1964, a military junta
| |
| | On August 6, 2001, Banzer resigned from
|
| overthrew President Paz Estenssoro at the
| |
| | office after being diagnosed with cancer.
|
| outset of his third term. The 1969 death
| |
| | He died less than a year later. Banzer's
|
| of President René Barrientos Ortuno, a
| |
| | U.S. educated Vice President, Jorge
|
| former member of the junta elected
| |
| | Fernando Quiroga Ramírez, completed the
|
| President in 1966, led to a succession of
| |
| | final year of the term.
|
| weak governments. Alarmed by public
| |
| | 2002 elections
|
| disorder and the rising Popular Assembly,
| |
| | Quiroga was constitutionally prohibited
|
| the military, the MNR, and others
| |
| | from running for national office in 2002.
|
| installed Colonel (later General) Hugo
| |
| | In the June 2002 national elections,
|
| Banzer Suárez as President in 1971.
| |
| | former President Gonzalo Sánchez de
|
| Banzer ruled with MNR support from 1971
| |
| | Lozada (MNR) placed first with 22.5% of
|
| to 1974. Then, impatient with schisms in
| |
| | the vote, followed by coca advocate and
|
| the coalition, he replaced civilians with
| |
| | native peasant leader Evo Morales
|
| members of the armed forces and suspended
| |
| | (Movement Toward Socialism, MAS) with
|
| political activities. The economy grew
| |
| | 20.9%. Morales edged out populist
|
| impressively during most of Banzer's
| |
| | candidate Manfred Reyes Villa of the New
|
| presidency, but human rights violations
| |
| | Republican Force (NFR) by just 700 votes
|
| and eventual fiscal crises undercut his
| |
| | nationwide, earning a spot in the
|
| support. He was forced to call elections
| |
| | congressional run-off against Sánchez de
|
| in 1978, and Bolivia again entered a
| |
| | Lozada on August 4, 2002.
|
| period of political turmoil.
| |
| | A July agreement between the MNR and the
|
| Military governments: García Meza and
| |
| | fourth-place MIR, which had again been
|
| Siles Zuazo (1978)
| |
| | led in the election by former president
|
| Elections in 1979 and 1981 were
| |
| | Paz Zamora, virtually ensured the
|
| inconclusive and marked by fraud. There
| |
| | election of Sánchez de Lozada in the
|
| were coups, counter-coups, and caretaker
| |
| | congressional run-off, and on August 6 he
|
| governments. In 1980, General Luis
| |
| | was sworn in for the second time. The MNR
|
| García Meza Tejada carried out a
| |
| | platform featured three overarching
|
| ruthless and violent coup that did not
| |
| | objectives: economic reactivation (and
|
| have popular support. He pacified the
| |
| | job creation), anti-corruption, and
|
| people by promising to remain in power
| |
| | social inclusion.
|
| only for one year. (At the end of the
| |
| |
|
