Global Issues Colloquium

Global Issues Colloquium

Thursday, Sept 17 – 7pm
Via Zoom: https://zoom.us/j/97132210723
Bret Gustafson
Washington University

Bolivia’s Democracy: Between COVID, Coup, and Revolution?

Over the past 14 years, Bolivia experienced relatively strong economic growth and poverty reduction. Evo Morales, an Indigenous President, used the resources from a largely government-controlled natural gas industry to invest in infrastructure, support health care, and redistribute wealth. Yet in November 2019, Morales was ousted in an upheaval that contained elements of both public discontent and a military coup. After a disputed election and fraud allegations, Morales fled to Argentina. While Morales had significant popular support, many thought he had stretched the boundaries of democracy too far. The interim government, now showing signs of corruption and incompetence, was immediately hit with the COVID pandemic. And Bolivians, suffering from government incompetence, are again demanding radical political change. In Bolivia’s story, there may be lessons for the US as well.