Latin American Perspectives, the Bolivia Issue – A Review
15 July 2010
Dear Readers:
July has come to Cochabamba with its cold weather and for me, some time away from work. For those of you thirsty for Bolivia analysis, we bring your attention to a serious work, the current issue of the journal Latin American Perspectives, which is dedicated to an analysis of: “Bolivia Under Morales.”
Much of the content and editing was dome by friends of ours in academia, people whose understanding of this country we respect. Below is a review by the Democracy Center’s Jessica Aguirre.
As for my own posts – to quote the Governor of my home state, “I’ll be back!”
Jim Shultz
Latin American Perspectives, the Bolivia Issue – A Review
Written by Jessica Aguirrre
Though it sometimes seems that there is no shortage of shorthand political commentary on Bolivia, it can be difficult to find contemporary and thoughtful analysis. The sweeping political changes that have occurred in Bolivia over the last decade have certainly caught the global eye, and so when a dedicated group of scholars chooses to focus on the significance of those shifts, their ideas are worth considering.
In May and June of this year, academic journal Latin American Perspectives, an academic journal based out of the University of California, Riverside, dedicated two issues of its publication exclusively to the exploration of this topic: Bolivia under Morales. Though the subject is obviously complex, the progressive monthly journal is on familiar ground: it has been devoted to study of Latin American political economy since 1974. Ronald Chilcote is the managing editor and Benjamin Kohl and Rosalind Bresnahan chiefly curated the Bolivia issues.
The contents list from the two issues reads like the stuff of thick academia, and the cerebral language from its chapters is par for the course. But the authors, from Bolivian Vice President Garcia Linera to anthropologist Nancy Postero, address some of the central questions that underlie the current Bolivian political project.
These questions, while varying in their subject, can be loosely organized into two broad categories: the significance and challenges of the Morales presidency, and the landscape of politics across Bolivia as it exists under the Morales presidency. Articles under the first category attempt to explain how Morales rose to power and what is important about the political context that he stepped into when he took office. The second category of articles explore how citizen political identity under Morales is shaped by current political debate: how, for example, Cruceño identity in the conservative Eastern departments is used to fuel debate on autonomist movements.
The Ascendance of Morales
“….he is celebrated by social movements around the world and demonized by the Wall Street Journal.” -LAP, May 2010
Much of the analysis of Morales’ importance to Bolivia is centered firstly around what he represents and secondly where he comes from. Many articles are given over to looking at Morales’ project of “decolonizing the state” – including resource nationalization, progressive welfare programs and advocating for the coca leaf’s non-narcotic uses. But beyond specific policies, authors such as Katherine McGurn Centellas and Rosaleen Howard explore how Morales also brings about this transformation via his use of symbols, for example making the state reflect its indigenous constituency using specific ceremonial emblems (language, clothing, cultural practices, etc.).
At the same time, many authors point out that Morales’ policies frequently fall short of the sweeping changes that are demanded by the highland indigenous constituency he claims to represent. On the one hand, scholars critique Morales for presenting a more radical overhaul than he is willing to implement. On the other, authors point out that Morales faces a unique challenge. He has inherited a government that was shaped under the political projects of predecessors who had a very different plan for Bolivia. So he inherited a political infrastructure that he must dismantle.
The Current Landscape of Bolivian Politics
Political changes taking place in Bolivia now are not, of course, exclusively about Morales. Nor does a Morales-centered history of the past decade do justice to the many social changes taking place on the ground. A number of the Latin American Perspectives pieces address these changes using the lens of identity to understand what has happened and what is happening.
Identity is fundamental to many political dynamics in Bolivia, but authors point to the difference between ‘real’ and ‘manufactured’ identity. Manufactured identities, they say, are those that are built to function as a rallying cry for a political end.
According to some authors, one of the successes of the conservative movements in the Eastern departments is that they’ve been able to build an identity (for the purposes of political mobilization) with deep ties to regionalism. This surge is so powerful, authors such as Miguel Centellas comment, that regional identity within the conservative movement may trump race and even class identities. So a Cruceño is able to ally themselves with the regional movement for autonomy with political actors from different economic classes, for example.
This identity-based political movement is complicated, of course, by internal migration and the perpetual construction of new identities. An article by Robert Albro in particular looks at community solidarity among traditionally different identity groups in the burgeoning semi-urban city of Quillacollo (on the outskirts of Cochabamba), such as working class mestizos with newer groups of highland indigenous migrants.
This constant renewal could be a metaphor for Bolivia itself: a nation in the midst of defining itself. And re-defining itself.
The ‘Bolivia under Morales’ issues of Latin American Perspectives are available online and in libraries.
20 responses to Latin American Perspectives, the Bolivia Issue – A Review
One has to look at developments following this year’s regional and local elections. Already we have seen splits from MAS (MSM and MSP) and unlikely alliances being formed in departmental assemblies and city councils- as a result of MAS failing to win a majority in several of them.
I can argue that Evo and his current opponents, today’s political actors, owe their position today to the LPP.
The July issue is not up yet. I can’t even look at the table of contents. That’s the one with all the discussion of Camba and Cruceno identity. Good stuff, but where’s the Chao in all this?
se mas especifico ………….
What’s to be made of a recent poll where Evo’s approval rating slipped quite a bit?
Polls are notoriously inaccurate in Bolivia. Prior to Evo’s election in 2005, polls put him at less just over 30%. This was totally wrong and he won by a landslide with over 50%. Pollsters in Bolivia don’t go to the campo much, and to be fair it is difficult to get a representative view of people across the country, when few have phones and roads are often difficult to travel.
What to be made of it? Not much, i guess
Topic: Bolivia under Morales
Subtopic: Gaffes this month
Case# 14,532
“Purchasing an ultraluxurious overpriced presidential plane that remains grounded because there are no Bolivian pilots qualified to fly it.”
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Bug off, dork. This is a blog, not an online sales room.
Nothing to write about in Bolivia expect what other people are writing about Bolivia. You are getting lazy Jim.
Jim should write about how his buddy Evo is being manipulated by Cuban and Venezuelan Advisors…
http://upsidedownworld.org/main/international-archives-60/2596-bolivia-and-ecuador-the-state-against-the-indigenous-people-
Topic: Bolivia under Morales
Subtopic: Gaffes this month
Case# 15,443
“Morales forced to apologize to the nation for having forced children to attend school despite record cold temperatures after ‘discovering’ that weather forecasting is unpredictable. The self-proclaimed defender of the Pachamama naturally blamed industrialized nations for allowing Pachamama to make a laughingstock out of him.”
Politics is hard to define..It only connotes that politics is always the dirtiest game you could get involve too.Many people get killed and some are kicked out out of their throne..No one or never could someone can fix the same situation for it was known to be at the beginning that it is not an easy task or game that you can start with.
strength training routine
viva la revolucion de evo.
nunca hemos tenido un presidente que ha hecho tanto sin llenar sus bolsillos–comprobado por la historia de bolivia. abajo los tres-veces perdedores, ignorantes de hechos y sus raices, agresivos a la paz que critican los logros de este pais bajo morales. Que hizo Banzer? Que hizo el Goni? Nada de nada solo robaron al pueblo como los demas presidentes.
Tenes razon.nunca un presi ha jodido tanto al pais como el evo.
You could argue that Evo has been the “least bad” out of all the presidents in the democratic era in terms of how much money he has stolen. There’s no evidence of he himself being personally corrupt, but getting a nice jet that just sits is just as damaging. While the capitalization might have enriched a few corrupt politicians, ALL bolivians have never in their history benefited more from a anything. Gas revenues and the capital bought by these foreign companies are the only sources of wealth creation in the country.
Evo has completely failed at creating any new sort of wealth or benefit to the country. He has made Bolivia a pariah state, and now the coca-cocaine and smuggling are the only growth industries in the country. YPFB is failing miserably, Mutun and lithium are non-starters, and so on and so forth. Morales legacy will be a lost decade.
Topic: Bolivia under Morales
Subtopic: Gaffes this month
Case# 16,150
“Morales’ justification for not declassifying military data that would point out where leftist icon Marcelo Quiroga Santa Cruz was buried after being murdered by the Garcia Meza military. The Ignorant-in-Chief said he ‘discovered’ that the military wasn’t at fault because it was simply obeying ‘imperialist’ orders. Tsk, tsk. After Garcia Meza’s coup, the US openly denounced it and cut diplomatic relations with Bolivia.”
Evo just like Chavez and Castro is afraid of the military…and has bought them by paying high salaries and other benefits… just like Chavez and Castro…