My thoughts
06.23.2004Yesterday's march in Santa Cruz demanded regional political & economic autonomy. I won't hide my pleasure. It's not that I'm a secessionist; it's that I believe it's time that the centralist state so much responsible for much of Bolivia's problems should end. Some form of federalism (perhaps along the Spanish model) would benefit the country.
After all, Bolivia's a diverse country. It's not all alpaca sweaters & Altiplano. A large sector of the country feels (rightly or wrongly) ignored on the national political agenda. Recently, that sector's had the most vibrant economic growth. Now they feel exploited by a bureaucratically inefficient (not the mention corrupt) centralist state.
I'm happy that the numbers involved in the Santa Cruz march dwarfed any of the marches in La Paz. Even the ones that toppled Goni in October. What this should make clear is that pro-autonomy sentiment in Santa Cruz isn't driven simply by a minoritarian, landed elite. The pro-autonomy movement has grass roots sentiments that no national government can long ignore.
And. Most importantly. I'm glad the march was peaceful, despite such a large number. There are few truly "peaceful" protests in La Paz. This cruceño protest could serve as a model of temperance — there's no need to vandalize or assault to make a statement.
There are also some interesting things about this movement, however. While most protests in La Paz or the Altiplano are littered w/ national flags, the Santa Cruz marchers carried few — they carried departmental flags almost exclusively. And even though they proclaimed their desire to stay a part of Bolivia, they demonstrated the lack of nationalist zeal that marks protests in western Bolivia.
It's also interesting that many of the "traditional" parties (especially MNR & MIR) are joining the protesters. This makes sense, of course, since eastern Bolivia still votes heavily for those parties. Most of the deputies & senators from those parties represent eastern departments. It's yet another demonstration of the east-west split in political attitudes.
Meanwhile, the government still vacillates over what to do about Ayo Ayo. And the exchange rate has gone up another point, to Bs. 7.92.
Posted by Miguel at 03:35 PM
Comments
Even though descentralization might look like a good alternative now, I am still not sure to what extent devolution of power will help Bolivia.
A very chilling and real fear resulting from the autonomy movement in Santa Cruz, however, is the possibility of secession. Simply because these feelings have been aired before.
Federalism a la Boliviana can help if its designed in the right way. The important thing, in my opinion, is to conserve the integrity of the country.
Posted by: MB at June 23, 2004 05:12 PM
Miguel, the budding federalist movement in Bolivia is as good an occasion as any to mention Claudio Veliz's THE CENTRALIST TRADITION IN LATIN AMERICA (1994). It's an excellent survey of the historic and cultural forces (the crown, the church, etc.) that helped put Bolivia in the predicament it is in today. Decentralization might not be the entire remedy, but it's a start. Dan
Posted by: Daniel Buck at June 23, 2004 07:47 PM
Yes, Veliz's book is considered a classic. It's a reference in my dissertation lit review. And I believe that decentralization will help Bolivia. Liberal democracy is, in large part, a process of decentralizing power/authority & the resources that come w/ them. And while I'd like to see Bolivia remain one country (under the right conditions), I don't take it as a given, nor do I take the traditionalist argument that because it's always been one country it should always be one country. Any argument for keeping Bolivia (or any country) intact must rest on democratic arguments, not historical legacies.
Posted by: Miguel at June 24, 2004 11:58 AM