Note: One of the most impressive issues is that Bolivia counts on more than 70% of its population having an indigenous background and it wasn’t until the mid-90s that you could see a deputy in parliament that represents this national majority.

After a succession of social and political crises, Bolivia reached the elections of December 2005: two candidates disputing the preference of the population who were diametrically opposed; one of the ultra-conservative citizen grouping Poder Democratico y Social (PODEMOS) [Democratic and Social Power], led by the ex-President Jorge Quiroga and the other from the Movimiento al Socialismo (MAS) [Movement towards Socialism] from the Nationalist-Indigenous side, led by the Aymaran leader Evo Morales.

This result left him free to govern without having to negotiate with any political forces. 

Evo Morales’ Government

Nationalisation of hydrocarbons, forced renegotiation of contracts with the trans-national oil companies in the country, the diplomatic crisis with Argentina and Brazil due to the sale of Bolivian gas, new agrarian reform, “free trade” agreements with Venezuela and Cuba, and the election of a Constituent Assembly, among others, were done in the first half year of Evo Morales’ government.  All a surprise, given that observers were not expecting Morales to fulfil all of his electoral promises.  “There is no surprise in what he’s doing, but rather that he is fulfilling, more or less to the letter, the programme he presented to the country”, explained the Bolivian political analyst, Carlos Toranzo.     

Post election Panorama
After such an election result, the traditional parties were unable to organise an opposition, leaving a void that was filled by Civic Committees and the Media.In the 1950s, before the disappearance of the municipal governments, civic committees were born in each Department to defend the interests of the citizen in front of central government.  They say that this was the intention of their founders.With the passage of time, these committees became true business and political corporations in defence of economic interests of the dominant class in each Department.

Now that Bolivians have municipal and departmental governments elected by direct vote, the civic committees can no longer be attributed as intermediaries between the citizen and Central Government.

• Autonomy
• Two thirds
• The Capital City

Two thirds, on seeing that the party of Evo Morales counted on the majority in the Constituent Assembly, they started a campaign so that the articles of the new constitution had to be approved by 2/3rds of the votes, they know that to reach 2/3rds they would have to be included in negotiations, so they started a whole campaign where it’s funny and ironic to hear from the mouths of these gentlemen “respect for minorities” something that traditional parties didn’t do in any of their terms in power.   Afterwards, to impose their slogan of 2/3rds they said that the Government was undemocratic, denying the fact that in the Presidential Election as well as in the Assembly election the Government received more than 50% of the votes.

Capital City, after Bolivia passed to a Republican stage, the city of La Paz started to acquire increasing importance, above all economic.  Its geographical location on the route for mineral exportation benefited it.  As La Paz had the economic power or in other words, powerful groups were residing there, they also wanted political power; because of this a civil war was unleashed to transfer the capital to the city of La Paz.  This war concluded in 1899 in a kind of draw, the capital continued being Sucre and it remained with legal power, La Paz became the seat of Government and the executive and legislative powers were transferred there.It’s surprising how historical processes are, more than 100 years on, Santa Cruz is where economic power resides in Bolivia, or those groups with power live there.  More skilfully these economic groups didn’t ask to transfer the capital to Santa Cruz, this would bring the epicentre of the problems to their own doorstep, what they are doing is coming out to back the call to move the capital back to Sucre.  Sucre for years has been demanding that the capital returns to this city.  Sucre counts on a little more than 200,000 inhabitants this meant that their demand throughout the years had no weight, but with Santa Cruz coming out in their favour, this demand acquired another level.  So the people of Sucre saw as more possible than ever the possibility for the capital city to return fully and with this the progress and development that they yearn for.

By law the Constituent Assembly was tied to holding session in Sucre and bringing out this issue for the capital to fully return to Sucre unleashed acts of violence, the citizens beat the constituents in the streets of the city, the Government decided to transfer the venue for the Assembly to La Glorieta located on the outskirts of the city, with this the opposition played their strongest card and backed a big massacre, mobilising people to the compound to prevent the sessions, the government limited itself to defend the new venue where the assembly members were in session, forming three rings of protection for the compound, the first inner ring with military, without fire arms, only crowd control equipment, the second ring of police also without firearms, with crowd dispersion equipment and the third and final ring with social movements that had been brought to Sucre from the West of the country.

 As it says, the opposition was backing a massacre, it’s sad that 2 or 3 people died and the government has promised to investigate, above all because the calibre of the bullets is 22mm, a calibre that is not used by either the police or the army.
 In a political move, the Government managed to give a decision to the coordination team of the Constituent Assembly to be able to hold session in other cities where there could be guarantees.  The final step for the Assembly is the 14th December, by then it is expected that the events will hot up closer to the date.

Raúl Mercado
lrmwagner@gmail.com