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bolivia | by Miguel Centellas | 07 Jun, 2004 at 01:19 PM | comments (0) | trackback (0)
Mesa's government decided to take a strong line against protesters — especially the striking public teachers. The announcement came shortly after La Paz public teachers kidnapped the vice minister of Education, hospitalizing him. Teachers who didn't return to work today, are supposedly fired. (Let's see how that goes.)...
bolivia | by Miguel Centellas | 04 Jun, 2004 at 03:39 PM | comments (2) | trackback (0)
Not sure if things are spiralling out of control for Mesa or not. He's stood on the edge of the abyss for a while now. The question is whether he knows how to turn around & walk back, build a bridge — or will he just fall....
bolivia | by Miguel Centellas | 02 Jun, 2004 at 12:30 PM | comments (0) | trackback (0)
Three dead in Beni after clashes w/ military & police. Jose Galindo, Minister of the Presidency, worries there's an effort to overthrow Mesa brewing. Meanwhile, MAS leader Evo Morales threatened a responsibility trial for the Beni clash....
bolivia | by Miguel Centellas | 01 Jun, 2004 at 03:15 PM | comments (0) | trackback (0)
Striking school teachers take a hostage; BONOSOL payments start today; internal splits w/in MAS continue; voter registration beats CNE expectations....
bolivia | by Miguel Centellas | 26 May, 2004 at 12:27 PM | comments (1) | trackback (0)
Decision reached by the Assamblea de la Cruceñidad; National Electoral Court upset at Mesa; yet another hydrocarbons minister resigns....
bolivia | by Miguel Centellas | 20 May, 2004 at 04:13 PM | comments (2) | trackback (0)
President Mesa finally announced the questions for the gas referendum. And although there are five of them, they seem rather vague & almost destined to win a "yes" vote by their very wording (which, I'm sure, was the point). But. Despite that, the questions are unclear as to what they...
bolivia | by Miguel Centellas | 19 May, 2004 at 05:32 PM | comments (1) | trackback (0)
Watched some TV news today at tia Lilia's house before lunch. The autopista (the route to the airport in El Alto) was blocked this morning. It was a protest by rural teachers. The residents of El Alto seemed uninterested, so the protesters began throwing rocks at house windows, cars, even...
bolivia | by Miguel Centellas | 19 May, 2004 at 08:52 AM | comments (8) | trackback (0)
A radio bulletin last night told that Felipe Quispe denounced his parliamentary immunity to take up armed struggle against the government. Quispe's the radical leader of his political party, MIP (Movimiento Indigena Pachacuti) as well as the CSUTCB (Confederación Sindical Unica de Trabajadores Campesinos Bolivianos). He announced that armed road...
bolivia | by Miguel Centellas | 16 May, 2004 at 03:43 PM | comments (0) | trackback (0)
The highways out of La Paz are blocked again. Although the markets are still stocked, and prices have only barely inched up, you can't travel by land out of La Paz. This better lift soon, since I need to go to Cochabamba for a few days....
The military & justice?
bolivia | by Miguel Centellas | 11 May, 2004 at 02:19 PM | comments (0) | trackback (0)
Bolivia's recent political crisis, sparked by the military's objection to a court ruling that four officers be tried by civil courts, is a serious challenge to Mesa's ability to govern. And. Like most political crises, this one's not as simple as might look. While it's important to hold the military...
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Bolivia's anti-protest protest
bolivia | by Miguel Centellas | 11 May, 2004 at 02:16 PM | comments (0) | trackback (0)
In a country where protesting is considered a national pastime, an anti-protest protest isn't ironic....
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Economic news (good & bad)
bolivia | by Miguel Centellas | 06 May, 2004 at 04:06 PM | comments (0) | trackback (0)
The economic report for 2004's first semester is good. A 44% increase in exports; a growth of $138.7 million. If the rate of export-led growth continues, Bolivian exports could reach a record $2 billion by year's end. Indicators were positive for nearly all market sectors, though especially for agriculture (specifically,...
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Bolivia news roundup
bolivia | by Miguel Centellas | 05 May, 2004 at 11:48 AM | comments (0) | trackback (1)
Tensions easing in some quarters after May Day strike fails; campesinos willing to dialogue w/ government; gremialistas still on warpath; "media luna" proposes gas referendum rules; anti-march march set for Sunday; politicians not popular....
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Election data analysis
bolivia | by Miguel Centellas | 22 Apr, 2004 at 11:32 AM | trackback (0)
I've just posted two sets of election data analysis for Bolivia on my personal blog. For a variety of reasons, I want it hosted there. But here are the links: http://www.centellas.org/miguel/archives/000799.html...
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bolivia | by Miguel Centellas | 21 Apr, 2004 at 03:17 PM | comments (32) | trackback (2)
For the first time in years, rumors of a possible military coup have captured the nation's imagination. It's gone from whispers in certain neighborhoods, to occupying the front page of newspapers three days in a row. And while I think it's unlikely, the attention is troublesome....
bolivia | by Miguel Centellas | 16 Apr, 2004 at 01:33 PM | comments (0) | trackback (0)
Even though Mesa handed the new Ley de Hidrocarburos (which includes many of the changes the COB demanded) to Congress — and published in full text in every newspaper yesterday — the COB (Central Obrera Boliviana) marched. And although Solares pointed out that their numbers were lower than in the...
Cabinet shake-up
bolivia | by Miguel Centellas | 14 Apr, 2004 at 01:55 PM | comments (0) | trackback (0)
Mesa re-arranged his cabinet last night w/ four changes, including giving MAS control of the Ministry of Indigenous Affairs. The government's also now taking a hard line against protests, arguing that it's tried to negotiate, but now they're going to govern. Other announcements include a date for the gas referendum...
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Bolivia news roundup
bolivia | by Miguel Centellas | 13 Apr, 2004 at 01:58 PM | comments (27) | trackback (0)
Coca production in Yungas increases; Mesa faces opposition to possible sale of gas to Argentina; a reduction in executive spending means little savings; Ley de Hidrocarburos still unchanged....
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bolivia | by Miguel Centellas | 07 Apr, 2004 at 12:46 PM | comments (1) | trackback (1)
Mesa's being hit from all sides. Current protests include: cocaleros & handicapped. Threatening to protest are: public universities, cobistas, teachers, and public transportation. The embassy pressures on coca erradication, MIR is upset because two miristas were removed from their appointments....
Bolivia news roundup
bolivia | by Miguel Centellas | 06 Apr, 2004 at 12:15 PM | comments (30) | trackback (0)
MAS is back in Mesa's corner; pacto social blocked by COB; business hospital starts operations; Bolivian artisans set to "conquer" foreign markets; FUN goes to the polls; Tarija business sector secedes; Mesa asks former media colleagues to support him; sometimes a strike is doomed to failure....
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bolivia | by Miguel Centellas | 06 Apr, 2004 at 12:13 PM | comments (5) | trackback (0)
La Razón conducted a survey of six civic organizations: COB (Central Obrera Boliviana), COR (Central Obrera Regional de El Alto), CSUTCB (Confederación Sindical Única de Trabajadores Campesinos de Bolivia), Comité Cívico de Santa Cruz, Comité Cívico de Tarija, and CAINCO (the Santa Cruz Chamber of Commerce & Industry). It highlighted...
Decentralization via regional autonomies
bolivia | by Miguel Centellas | 03 Apr, 2004 at 02:28 PM | comments (23) | trackback (0)
As a participant in the Mallasilla conference on decentralization, I was a member of the grupo de taller that developed a model based on municipal governments. Conference participants were organized into three groups: a cultural-ethnic framework, a federalization framework, and a modest one based on the already-existing municipal governments. In...
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bolivia | by Miguel Centellas | 31 Mar, 2004 at 01:13 PM | comments (7) | trackback (0)
Here are the next-day details on the explosion in parliament after ex-miner Eustaquio Picachui blew himself up, taking two police officers w/ him & wounding ten others (previous details here, including the names of the dead/injured). The 47-year-old former employee of COMIBOL, the state-owned mining company, had threatened to blow...
bolivia | by Miguel Centellas | 30 Mar, 2004 at 04:12 PM | comments (2) | trackback (0)
Shortly after 3pm today, ex-miner Eustaquio Picachuri (changed from Picachuy in latest report) blew himself up inside an annex to the parliament building. Only minutes after President Mesa had left the Palacio de Gobierno. Along w/ Picachuri Picachuy, died Colonel Márvel Flores, in charge of parliament security. Picachuri Picachuy had...
bolivia | by Miguel Centellas | 30 Mar, 2004 at 03:40 PM | comments (1) | trackback (0)
That's what you'd call a commission that plans to have a referendum election w/o any pre-electoral propaganda (for "yes" or for "no"). Welcome to Bolivia. Parliament's hoping to pass a referendum law — a law that allows for & outlines the gas referendum — that explicitly prohibits any political propaganda....
bolivia | by Miguel Centellas | 28 Mar, 2004 at 02:12 PM | comments (2) | trackback (0)
La Razón just published their latest poll (conducted along w/ Nuevo Día & ATB) of Bolivian political attitudes. The survey has a representative sample of 819 residents from the cities of La Paz, El Alto, Cochabamba, Santa Cruz — no other areas were covered in the survey (though these cities...
bolivia | by Miguel Centellas | 26 Mar, 2004 at 12:14 PM | comments (1) | trackback (0)
The COB (Central Obrera Boliviana) marched last night, as they said the would. This time, the police showed up to secure peace & order — unlike Wednesday where their total absence led to violence between protesters & pedestrians after the few cobistas assaulted anyone who jeered them....
bolivia | by Daniel Bustillos | 18 Mar, 2004 at 05:12 PM | comments (0) | trackback (0)
Now that constitution reforms allow citizens to directly participate as candidates (without political party affiliation) in elections there is no excuse for daily protests from some sectors. If there is enough representation (through votes) all important players should be represented from now on. This is an important challenge for the...
bolivia | by Miguel Centellas | 18 Mar, 2004 at 12:04 PM | comments (221) | trackback (0)
It started this afternoon. Despite announcing a 10-day "truce" w/ Mesa's government, the COB decided to march through the Prado. About 3:30pm I heard the sound of rockets going off, and (perhaps foolishly) went out to take a look. A few hundred members of the COB & others were marching...
bolivia | by Miguel Centellas | 17 Mar, 2004 at 01:28 PM | comments (3) | trackback (0)
The UNDP (United Nations Development Program) just released its 2004 report on human development in Bolivia. Despite October's turmoil, the report's optimistic — even though Bolivia ranks 114th (out of 175) in the human development index....
bolivia | by Daniel Bustillos | 16 Mar, 2004 at 02:39 PM | comments (3) | trackback (0)
Public opinion in Bolivia thought that it was good to have a president with no political attachments (Mesa does not directly participate in any political party nad was invited by former president Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada to be his Vice President), nevertheless since Mesa became president, his lack of political...
bolivia | by Miguel Centellas | 15 Mar, 2004 at 07:35 AM | comments (3) | trackback (0)
Mesa's speech last night was a stern talking to aimed at the legislature, the syndicalists, and the cruceño business class. And while the missive included a desire to engage in political dialogue w/ each of these sectors — and a call to put personal interests behind & think of Bolivia...
bolivia | by Miguel Centellas | 12 Mar, 2004 at 12:39 PM | comments (3) | trackback (0)
The Achilles' heel of presidentialism is the system of checks of balances. Why? Because in presidential democracies, political parties (especially the opposition) have invested interest in sabotaging the executive's agenda. They can cast blame on the executive (and/or his party), winning electoral support for themselves. Prior to October, Bolivia's political...
bolivia | by Miguel Centellas | 12 Mar, 2004 at 12:36 PM | comments (1) | trackback (0)
A virtual vice-president; a march to the sea; the COB up to its old tricks; locals seize gas pipeline....
bolivia | by Miguel Centellas | 09 Mar, 2004 at 12:32 PM | comments (25) | trackback (0)
For the first time in twenty years of democratic history, Bolivia's facing the harsh realities of presidential politics. For the past two decades, Bolivia resembled a parliamentary system, where every president was supported by a solid legislative majority. Bolivia overcame the governability problem inherent in presidential democracy (read Juan Linz...
bolivia | by Miguel Centellas | 08 Mar, 2004 at 01:24 PM | comments (175) | trackback (0)
Here's a map of Bolivia divided by municipalities. Bolivia's a centralist, "unitary republic" — the prefects (governors) of the country's 9 departments aren't elected, but appointed by the president. This map (published in La Razón, click to enlarge) shows the country as divided into 9 department (the basic colors) and...
bolivia | by Miguel Centellas | 08 Mar, 2004 at 01:00 PM | comments (0) | trackback (0)
President Mesa's tax proposals are under fire in Bolivia's parliament. MAS & NFR now oppose the proposal to impose taxes on Bolivians w/ more than $50,000....
bolivia | by Miguel Centellas | 06 Mar, 2004 at 12:34 PM | comments (0) | trackback (0)
The following is a round up of recent Bolivian news....
bolivia | by Miguel Centellas | 03 Mar, 2004 at 12:35 PM | comments (0) | trackback (0)
Tentatively scheduled for 28 March, the gas referendum may be postponed because parliament's not yet ratified the necessary law. President Mesa only sent the law to parliament on Friday. The National Electoral Court (CNE) warned that it needs at least 90 days from the date of the law's approval to...
bolivia | by Miguel Centellas | 03 Mar, 2004 at 12:34 PM | comments (0) | trackback (0)
The following is a roundup of recent Bolivian news....
bolivia | by Miguel Centellas | 28 Feb, 2004 at 11:49 AM | comments (22) | trackback (0)
As Bolivia's gas referendum approaches, many are hailing the birth of referendum democracy. I'm not convinced that referendum democracy is desireable or even a solution to the country's problems. For all its strengths, referendum democracy — in practice — has important drawbacks. It increases the power of bureaucracies. It reduces...
bolivia | by Miguel Centellas | 12 Feb, 2004 at 12:34 PM | comments (10) | trackback (0)
Today was the second day of the 48 hour transit strike against the de-freezing of gasoline prices (though prices haven't yet increased). The measure was labeled a failure by most papers. El Alto residents not only didn't march (as they were called on to do), but they jeered the road...
bolivia | by Miguel Centellas | 08 Feb, 2004 at 12:15 PM | comments (4) | trackback (0)
There's a recent meme circulating about Bolivia becoming the "Afghanistan of the Andes." While this is in the realm of possibilities, I don't think it's in the realm of probability. Yes, Bolivia's suffering a crisis of governability. It's also true that Bolivia's involvement in international cocaine production makes exercising government...
bolivia | by Miguel Centellas | 06 Feb, 2004 at 12:14 PM | comments (0) | trackback (0)
Since the 1982 transition to democracy, Bolivia evolved a multiparty system revolving around three major parties (MNR, ADN, MIR). These are the parties that produced the nation's presidents since 1985. For much of this time, the party system seemed balanced between two blocks (MNR & ADN-MIR) which alternated in &...
bolivia | by Miguel Centellas | 05 Feb, 2004 at 01:42 PM | comments (0) | trackback (0)
Several weeks ago, Bolivian business mogul Samuel Doria Medina left MIR (Movement of the Revolutionary Left) & launched his own political party, FUN (Frente de Unidad Nacional). Last week, Doria Medina joined some alteño dirigentes in a march through El Alto. This past week, the party's militantes have been out...
bolivia | by Mike Derham | 04 Feb, 2004 at 06:21 PM | comments (1) | trackback (0)
Slate will have dispaches for the rest of the week from a reporter travelling through Bolivia. Today's dispatch is from Chaparé, and is a good micro-level look at the economic sources of the popular discontent in that region:...
bolivia | by Miguel Centellas | 03 Feb, 2004 at 01:16 PM | comments (2) | trackback (0)
Mesa presented his austerity plan (of sorts) Sunday night. There's no gasolinazo nor garrafazo in store — at least not yet. The entire plan includes 23 executive decrees & 3 bills presented for parliament's approval. It also involved six "focus areas": austerity; production, exports & job creation; solidarity; highway infrastructure;...
bolivia | by Miguel Centellas | 02 Feb, 2004 at 01:48 PM | comments (5) | trackback (0)
There's been some attention paid to the role of El Alto (the sprawling slum twin city of La Paz) in national politics. After all, October's guerra del gas was primarily an alteño affair. It wasn't until after the city of La Paz had been besieged & cut off from the...
bolivia | by Miguel Centellas | 01 Feb, 2004 at 05:07 PM | comments (15) | trackback (0)
The city's abuzz, anticipating Mesa's big speech tonight at 9pm. He's going to unveil his administration's economic austerity plan. The government has to somehow bridge the gap between income & expenses (it spends about twice as much as it brings in). How'll Mesa do it? What's the big plan?...
bolivia | by Miguel Centellas | 31 Jan, 2004 at 04:01 PM | comments (0) | trackback (0)
If the "responsibility" trial against Goni includes all his former ministers, why doesn't it also include Mesa, Goni's vice-president? After all, if every single minister (what role did the minister of sports really play?) is considered an "accomplice" to Goni's alleged crimes, why not Mesa, who was vice-president the entire...
bolivia | by Miguel Centellas | 30 Jan, 2004 at 04:45 AM | comments (0) | trackback (0)
It's been a week of interesting tidbits of news. Full of political flip floppery, politically related soccer news, and parliamentary intrigue of various sorts....
bolivia | by Miguel Centellas | 23 Jan, 2004 at 04:48 AM | comments (0) | trackback (0)
That's the quote that opened a Thursday article on Wednesday's protest march through downtown La Paz. This makes the third march attempted since October (a really small number for the city of manifestaciones), all of which have been heckled by city residents who happened to be out & about....
bolivia | by Miguel Centellas | 21 Jan, 2004 at 04:57 AM | comments (0) | trackback (0)
Bolivia's parliament has gotten together, actually making progress on various issues — most notably changes to 14 articles of the constitution. Among the changes is a notable change to the Article 1 calling Bolivia's democracy "representative & participative." Other changes allow for a Constituent Assembly and the use of public...
bolivia | by Miguel Centellas | 10 Jan, 2004 at 05:01 AM | comments (0) | trackback (0)
Newspapers announced the World Bank & IMF have reconsidered Bolivia's risk after October and will act accordingly. The guerra del gas lost Bolivia the option of exporting gas — at any price — until another buyer shows up (Sempra already signed a contract w/ Indonesia). Now it's announced Bolivia's economic...
bolivia | by Miguel Centellas | 08 Jan, 2004 at 05:06 AM | comments (1) | trackback (0)
Mesa's situation is about to get desperate. Everyone knows this; everyone sees it coming. On 17 January, the 90-day truce agreed upon by the leaders of October populist coup (Jaime Solares, Felipe Quispe, Evo Morales, and Roberto de la Cruz) ends. Quispe & de la Cruz have already threatened to...
bolivia | by Miguel Centellas | 05 Jan, 2004 at 05:09 AM | comments (0) | trackback (0)
Bolivia's president, Carlos Mesa, spoke to the nation last night in what was heralded as an important address. This was his first major policy address since he was installed in office after Goni's overthrow. In the end, he said pretty much what everyone expected — though not, perhaps, what everyone...
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" Mesa, w/ pants on? | Miguel Centellas
" The current situation | Miguel Centellas " Mesa's Sorata? | Miguel Centellas " Bolivia news roundup | Miguel Centellas " Referendum news | Miguel Centellas " Five questions | Miguel Centellas " A note of caution | Miguel Centellas " Quispe on the radio | Miguel Centellas " The chances of a coup? | Miguel Centellas " The military & justice? | Miguel Centellas
" Mesa, w/ pants on? | Miguel Centellas
" The current situation | Miguel Centellas " Mesa's Sorata? | Miguel Centellas " Bolivia news roundup | Miguel Centellas " Referendum news | Miguel Centellas " more from living in latin america...
"President Mesa finally announced the questions for the gas referendum. And although there are five of them, they seem rather vague & almost destined to win a "yes" vote by their very wording (which, I'm sure, was the point). But. Despite that, the questions are unclear as to what they..."
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