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Mire, la democracia boliviana, en los hechos . . .
- Latin American Research Review
- Latin American Studies Association
- Volume 45, Special Issue
- pp. 27-58
- 10.1353/lar.2010.0033
- Article
- Additional Information
La idea de que Bolivia vive un proceso de fortalecimiento de la democracia, representada por el ascenso de Evo Morales Ayma, un dirigente sindical campesino de origen aymara, a la presidencia, está escondiendo no solamente el hecho de que su gobierno es la culminación de un largo proceso histórico, sino que también oculta los riesgos del rentismo petrolero, del caudillismo político y del debilitamiento institucional, que podrían estar afectando las perspectivas de la democracia y el desarrollo.
The image of a stronger democracy in Bolivia, portrayed by the ascent of Evo Morales, a peasant union leader of Aymara origin, to the nation's highest office, not only obscures the fact that it is the culmination of a long historical process but also ignores the risks of hydrocarbons, rent-seeking, political caudillismo, and institutional erosion, which are apparently affecting democracy and development. This article moves from the analysis of key events to a broader vision of the social and political processes that are shaping contemporary Bolivia. From this combination of approaches emerges a controversial characterization of the actually existing democracy in Bolivia. Beyond the seemingly hopeful emergence of an indigenous movement anxious to overcome exclusion and discrimination, the article detects challenges that are apparently trapping Bolivia in yet another cycle of frustration.
