Bolivia
Plagued by centuries-old cleavages surrounding ethnicity, geography, class and social status, Bolivia is struggling to emerge from the most recent cycle of sociopolitical violence sparked by the contested 2019 elections. USIP supports efforts to bridge divides and strengthen democratic institutions through youth peacebuilding fellowships, training in nonviolence for social movements, and research surrounding dialogue and consensus-building experiences and opportunities.
Featured Publications
Keith Mines on the Future of U.S. Latin America Policy
Intense polarization in Bolivia, Venezuela, and Colombia will present Washington with significant challenges in the years ahead. But USIP’s Keith Mines says, for the most part, leaders in those countries “are looking for a way forward … there’s a more realistic framework of coexistence that’s emerging.”
After a Year of Turmoil, Bolivia’s Election Offers Chance to Reduce Divides
Bolivians took part on Sunday in one of the country’s most decisive and historic general elections, in which the former governing party Movement Toward Socialism (MAS) and its candidate Luis Arce garnered a resounding victory. The vote culminated nearly 12 months of instability since elections in October 2019 led to allegations of fraud, followed by massive street protests and the departure of former President Evo Morales after nearly 14 years in power. Bolivia has not experienced a peaceful transition of power since 2002, but a window of opportunity has opened for the ethnically diverse Andean nation to emerge from the paralyzing polarization that has plagued it over the past years.
Truth Commission: Bolivia
Truth Commission: National Commission for Investigation for Forced Disappearances Duration: 1982 - 1984 Charter: Supreme Decree No. 19241 Commissioners: 8 Report: No final report