Andean Information Network

The Pivotal Indigenous Vote The candidates’ capacity to bridge deep regional and ethnic divides will also present an interesting campaign challenge. Recent elections and referenda results demonstrate the need for opposition contenders to tap into voter demographics outside of the urban, upper-middle class mestizo populations, which have historically represented conservative opposition groups’ core support. The urban [...]

In contrast to the goodwill generated by Obama and Clinton during and after the Summit, the ATPDEA decision came as an unwelcome blast from the past.  With the high-level dialogue underway, Bolivia had expected Obama to reverse the Bush decision.  The governments of other countries in the region, including Brazil, supported Washington reinstating [...]

In many ways, perceptions of Bolivia in the US resemble a Rorschach test on which to project one's fears, dogmas or utopian visions.   In reality, Bolivian political and social dynamics are complex, constantly shifting, and impossible to force into preconceived external formulas.  Neither an Andean socialist paradise nor an extension of the "Venezuelan-Iran-Cuba axis of [...]

The following paragraph exemplifies Farah’s tone throughout the piece:
 What is interesting in the dynamic [...] is that conflict eruptions seem to coincide with deep crises facing the Morales government. For example, the expulsion of the DEA and accusations of U.S. government conspiring came just after two sisters of Margarita Terán, one of Morales' closest confidants [...]

Much like U.S. tribunals, Bolivian military court proceedings lack transparency, the selection process of judges depends on the military high command, and does not require that all officials have legal training. The tribunal acts as both judge and jury. Furthermore, human rights advocates have consistently critiqued the Bolivian military justice tribunal for quick acquittals for [...]

You have asked me to address several questions on future joint counternarcotics efforts with Bolivia and future U.S. foreign assistance to the country. Are there any actions the Obama Administration can take to improve relations with Bolivia? What will the Bolivian Government need to do to help get relations back on track? Should the Obama [...]

Most Bolivians Choose Lower Land Limit
Somewhat unexpectedly, however, an overwhelming majority of voters chose the smaller private landholding limit. The two options, left undecided by the political impasse of the 2007 Constitutional Assembly, were 5,000 hectares (19.5 square miles) or 10,000 hectares (39 square miles). This stipulation will not apply retroactively, but will only be [...]

A Fresh Start for Bilateral Relations?
However, since last November, when U.S. voters made history by electing Barack Obama, President Morales and other high-ranking Bolivian officials have frequently expressed their optimism about the Obama presidency and their interest in improving relations.  After addressing the United Nations General Assembly in New York in mid-November, Morales remarked: “My [...]

Bad Blood
Since Morales’ inauguration, his lack of confidence in the Catholic Church hierarchy and ecclesiastical officials’ susceptibility about possible impact of constitutional and education reform led to recurring bouts of friction and verbal sparring. President Morales recently denounced the Church as “an ideological instrument of domination,”1  perpetuating this unproductive cycle.  Bolivian Cardinal Julio Terrazas has [...]

In general, the current political atmosphere is marked by unfounded accusations and lies regarding the content of the draft presented in TV spots and other media outlets as the opposition attempts to defeat the proposed constitution.  This propaganda takes advantage of the length and complexity of the document, which suggests that most people will not [...]