International Encyclopedia of Revolution and Protest

Extract

The election of Evo Morales in 2005 as Latin America's first indigenous president brought Bolivia to the forefront of indigenous empowerment. At a ceremonial inauguration held at the holy pre-Incan site of Tiwanaku, Morales declared that his election marked the beginning of a new era – an era characterized by the end of the neoliberal state and the empowerment of the world's indigenous populations. Indeed, the election of Morales can be regarded as the culmination of a series of social movements that have made gains since the country's 1952 revolution. At the height of indigenous struggle for equality in Bolivia's political processes the country's 2009 plurinational constitution socially and legally legitimated Bolivia's diverse social and indigenous groups. The 1993 Law for Constitutional Reform was the first constitutional action to recognize indigenous citizenship rights in Bolivia. This reform marked an explicit legal recognition of indigenous rights including relative autonomy and governance over indigenous territories, the right to sustainable natural resources, and the right to identity and language – among various broader social, economic, and cultural rights. The 1994 multicultural reforms, largely spearheaded by the country's indigenous vice president Victor Hugo Cárdenas, furthered Bolivia's formal recognition. They also attempted to alleviate indigenous–government tensions ... log in or subscribe to read full text