Abstract

ASSIES, Willem  and  SALMAN, Ton. Democracy in Bolivia: consolidation, intensification, uncertainty. Tinkazos [online]. 2010, vol.13, suppl.1, pp.111-139. ISSN 1990-7451.

Based on the results of the 2002 national election, this article analyses the characteristics and problems of the Bolivian political system, which is formally democratic but lacks “consolidation” and “legitimacy”. This was made evident by the growing wave of social protests since 1999, which culminated in the forced resignation of president Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada in October 2003, in one of the most violent episodes in the country’s contemporary history.

Keywords : Democracy - Bolivia; political system; political parties; governance; electoral systems; social participation; political participation.