Today marks Bolivia’s independence day. While Bolivia is, in effect, an artificial state carved out of the old Vice Royalty of Peru in 1825, the country has managed to survive and endure a tragic history. Since independence Bolivia has lost over half of its national territory to Brazil, Chile and Paraguay. The country holds the record for golpe de estados (coups) and more military governments than one can count but the country has been relatively stable (by Bolivian standards) since 1993. Still today it remains a highly polarized land with a deep cleavage between rich and poor and some the world’s lowest socio-economic standards.
Evo Morales, a former coca farmer and peasant union leader, has been President of Bolivia since January 2006. Morales forms part of the hard left in the Latin America and his government is closely tied to Hugo Chávez of Venezuela. However, his government remains embattled with five of Bolivia’s nine provinces in more or less open rebellion. These provinces are energy-rich and have resented Morales’ attempts to nationalize the natural gas resources and devote the income to alleviating poverty in the highland regions of Bolivia. They recently held autonomy referendums which passed by a wide margin and have set the stage for a recall of Morales from office.
One of my favourite journeys is the drive from La Paz down to the Yungas of northern Bolivia down the infamous carretera de la muerte, the highway of death, on which hundreds of people lose their lives each year. It is an amazing if perilous descent from the Andes into the Amazon basin.
One of the quirks of Bolivia is that though Bolivia lost its coast in 1879 in the War of the Pacific to Chile, Bolivia still has a navy with admirals. No sea-faring ships but admirals.