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State crisis and the social pact in Bolivia
23/09/2008 By Laura Tedesco
>Bolivia has not died, but it is in the throes of a violent death. It has been mired in political turbulence for decades. Over the last few weeks, the clash between the government of Evo Morales and those in favour of independence from the provinces of Santa Cruz, Beni, Pando, Tarija, Chuquisaca and Cochabamba has worsened, causing deaths, injuries and disappearances.
Bolivian President Evo Morales delivers a press conference next to Bolivian Vice-President Alvaro Garcia Linera and UNASUR's representative Juan Gabriel Valdéz. (STR/AFP/Getty Images)
The national government has implemented a state of siege in the department of Pando, establishing an atmosphere of tense calm which ended with the arrest of the governor on the grounds of his disregard for the emergency measure.
After a meeting of the Latin American governments within the framework of UNASUR (the Union of South-American Nations), a process of dialogue has begun and may open up opportunities for some degree of optimism.
This commentary offers an analysis of this political situation as part of the process of formation of the Bolivian state and of the establishment of a new social contract.
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Keywords
Bolivia Civil society Conflict DemocracyRelated publications
- Bolivia: ¿Cuánta revolución cabe en la democracia?
- Bolivia: a national clash over multiple worlds
- Bolivia: The Challenges to State Reform
- Re-founding the State in Bolivia
Bio author: Laura Tedesco
PhD from Warwick University. She is now Visiting Professor at the Department of Political Science Department of the University Autónoma of Madrid.
