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1 1 (October 2, 2019)

handle is hein.crs/govbbfu0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Congressional Research Service I for r g th legislative debate since 1914 0 October 2, 2019 Bolivia: An Overview Bolivia is a landlocked South American nation of 11.2 million people (see Figure 1). Since 2006, under populist President Evo Morales, Bolivia's first indigenous president, the country has become more stable and prosperous. Governance standards have weakened, however, especially those involving accountability, transparency, and separation of powers. Relations with the United States have been strained for more than a decade, particularly since President Morales expelled the U.S. ambassador in 2008. Background Chronic instability, poverty, corruption, regional conflicts, and deep ethnic and regional cleavages have stymied Bolivia's development. Bolivia won independence from Spain in 1825 but experienced frequent military coups and periods of authoritarian rule for much of its history. The country reestablished democratic civilian rule in 1982. The lack of sovereign access to the ocean is a source of lingering resentment in Bolivia. After the War of the Pacific with Chile (1879-1883), Bolivia lost its territory along the Pacific coast and has had to ship its exports through Peruvian or Chilean ports. Bolivia has rights of access to the Peruvian port of Ilo, but it no longer has tariff-free access to the Chilean port of Arica. Bolivia lost access to the Atlantic Ocean by way of the Paraguay River and surrounding territory because of the Chaco War with Paraguay (1932-1935). Bolivia and Paraguay are currently revisiting Bolivia's access to the Atlantic Ocean. Bolivia's population is among the most ethnically diverse in South America. In the 2012 census, some 41% of the population self-identified as indigenous (Quechua or Aymara). The rest of the population is comprised of people of mixed white and indigenous descent, white, and African descent. Bolivian indigenous peoples benefitted from the National Revolution of 1952, which led to land reform and expanded suffrage. Nevertheless, they remained underrepresented in the political system prior to Morales's government and affected by poverty and inequality. Many of Bolivia's indigenous communities consider the coca leaf (also used to make cocaine) sacred and use it for traditional and licit purposes. Opposition to forced coca eradication policies backed by the United States led to the rise of coca growers' trade unions and a related political party, the Movement Toward Socialism (MAS). In 2005, years of protest against leaders perceived to have governed on behalf of the elite led to the election of Evo Morales, the president of the coca growers' union and a self-identified person of Aymara descent. Figure I. Bolivia at a Glance Sources: CRS Graphics, International Monetary Fund (IMF), Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Instituto Nacional de Estadisticas (INE), Global Trade Atlas (GTA). Political Conditions Since 2006, President Morales and the MAS, which has two-thirds majorities in both legislative chambers, have transformed Bolivia. Morales has decriminalized coca cultivation outside of traditional zones where it was always legal, increased state control over the economy, used natural gas revenue to expand social programs, and enacted a new constitution (2009) favoring indigenous peoples' rights and autonomy. Previously underrepresented groups, including the indigenous and women, have increased their representation at all levels of government. Indigenous people now comprise more than 50% of the Bolivian Congress; there is also gender parity in that body. Many analysts assert that although the political system has been more stable, representative, and participative under Morales than in the past, democracy remains weak. Bolivia has remained partly free in Freedom House's annual Freedom in the World reports, scoring lowest on issues related to due process and judicial independence. The Morales government has launched judicial proceedings against many opposition politicians and dismissed hundreds of judges. It also has restricted freedom of the press. Concerns about democracy in Bolivia have increased as President Morales has sought to remain in office. In 2017, Bolivia's Constitutional Tribunal removed constitutional limits on reelection. The decision overruled a 2016 referendum in which voters rejected a constitutional change to allow Morales to serve another term. In January 2019, President Morales won his party's primary and began to campaign for a fourth presidential term. His main opponents are former President Carlos Mesa (2003- 2005), standing for the Citizen Community Alliance party, and Oscar Ortfz, a senator from Santa Cruz standing for the Bolivia Says No party. rtscongress gov

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