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Country Report - Bolivia

Capital: La Paz (administrative), Sucre (judicial)

Population: 8,800,000

GNI: 900

Scores:

Accountability and Public Voice: 3.54

Civil Liberties: 4.12

Rule of Law: 3.52

Anticorruption and Transparency: 3.12

(Scores are based on a scale of 0 to 7, with 0 representing weakest and 7 representing strongest performance.)

Notes

[1] The People's Defender gives the lower figure; the Bolivian Permanent Assembly for Human Rights gives the higher estimate. Three soldiers also were killed. Both sources quoted in "Counting the human cost of protests," Latin American Weekly Report, 11 November 2003, 8.

[2] Jose Antonio Aruquipa, "Terrorism intensifies: Anti-drug prosecutor dies in attack," Latinamerica Press 36, 5 (10 March 2004): 3; "La aprobacion de Mesa cae ocho puntos; la gente pide otra agenda," La Razon, 30 August 2004, http://www.la-razon.com/el_evento/agosto/eve040830a.html.

[3] Bolivia has an estimated 900 million barrels of oil and 54 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. Raul Vasquez, "Bolivia: Social Movements in Trouble?" NACLA Report on the Americas 38, 1 (July/August 2004): 43.

[4] "Optimism from central bank," Latin American Economy and Business (June 2004): 17; "Primary economy outperforms services," Latin American Andean Group Report (6 January 2004): 10; World Factbook 2004, Bolivia (Springfield, Va.: U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, 2004); Carlos D. Mesa Gisbert, Mensaje - Informe de Gestion, 17 October 2003-6 August 2004.

[5] "Los grupos recibiran subsidios y pueden aliarse a los partidos," La Razon, 18 August 2004, http://www.la-razon.com/politica/Agosto/pol040818a.html; "Ajustes legales para las municipales," La Razon, 11 August 2004, http://ea.gmcsa.net/2004/08-Agosto/20040810/Editorial/notas/Editorial.html; "La participacion de agrupaciones en las municipales sera escasa," La Razon, 9 September 2004, http://www.la-razon.com/politica/septiembre/pol040909a.html.

[6] Mesa, Mensaje - Informe; "Mesa unveils tailor-made referendum," Latin American Andean Group Report (8 June 2004): 10; "La mayoria aprueba al Gobierno y cree que las petroleras ayudaran," La Razon, 13 August 2004.

[7] Bolivia - Annual Report 2004 (Paris: Reporters without Borders, 2004), http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=10233&%20Valider=OK.

[8] "Bolivia, Attacks on the Press 2003" (New York: Committee to Protect Journalists, 2004), http://www.cpj.org/attacks03/americas03/bolivia.html.

[9] Ibid.; "2003 World Press Freedom Review," (Vienna: International Press Institute, 2004), http://www.freemedia.at/wpfr/Americas/bolivia.htm; "Cossio y Vaca Diez comprometen acciones en contra del nepotismo," La Razon, 2 September 2004.

[10] "A la comunidad internacional y al pueblo Boliviano" (La Paz: Bolivian Permanent Assembly for Human Rights [APDHB], press release, 15 October 2003), http://web.entelnet.bo/apdhdb/docs/doc33.htm; in comparison, during the 2000 "Water War" and contemporaneous protests 20+ people were killed and hundreds injured; confrontations in 2001 left an estimated 17 dead, in Willem Assies, "David Fights Goliath in Cochabamba: Water rights, neoliberalism and the renovation of social protest in Bolivia," Latin American Perspectives (2003): 14-36; "Bolivia: Chapare - Human rights cannot be eradicated along with the coca leaf" (New York: Amnesty International, 25 October 2001), http://web.amnesty.org/library/print/engamr180102001.

[11] Informe de la Organizacion de los Estados Americanos (OEA) sobre los hechos de febrero del 2003 en Bolivia (Washington, DC: Secretaria General de la OEA, Mayo del 2003); 2004 Annual Report, "Bolivia" (New York: Amnesty International, 2004), http://www.amnestyusa.org/countries/bolivia; "Se debe ejercer mesura al responder a las protestas" (New York: Human Rights Watch, 15 October 2003), http://hrw.org/spanish/press/2003/bolivia_manifestaciones.html; "Bolivia" (New York: Amnesty International, 2003).

[12] "Legal consequences: Human rights organizations sort out the consequences of October protest and press for prosecutions," Latinamerica Press 2 (28 January 2004): 11.

[13] Author's translation, "Fortalecer la investigacion por muertes de manifestantes" (New York: Human Rights Watch, 22 diciembre 2003), http://hrw/org/spanish/press/2003/bolivia_fortalecer_investigacion.html.

[14] Latin American Weekly Report, 25 November 2003, 12; "Bolivia," 2003 and "Bolivia," 2004 (New York: Amnesty International, 2003 and 2004).

[15]Jarmila Moravek de Cerruto, "Domestic Violence, Legislation and Health in Bolivia," paper presented at symposium "Gender Violence, Health and Rights in the Americas," Cancun, Mexico, 4-7 June 2001, 2; "Ocho anos de Carcel por pegar a su mujer," Actualidad, 23 May 2002, http://www.bolivia.com/noticias/autonoticias/detallenoticia6307.asp.

[16] "Social Security Throughout the World: The Americas 2003" (Washington, DC: U.S. Social Security Administration, March 2004), http://www.ssa.gov/policy/docs/progdesc/ssptw/2002-2003/americas/bolivia.html.

[17] "Algunas caracteristicas del proximo Parlamento," La Razon, 7 July 2002; interviews by author in Bolivia, April-July 1997, June 2002; Mala N. Htun, Advancing Women's Rights in the Americas: Achievements and Challenges (Washington, DC: Inter-American Dialogue, 2001).

[18] Trafficking in Persons Report (Washington, DC: U.S. Dept. of State, 14 June 2004), http://www.state.gov/g/tip/rls/tiprpt/2004/33198pf.htm.

[19] Mesa, Mensaj - Informe.

[20] "2004 International Disability Rights Monitor," Bolivia (Chicago: Center for International Rehabilitation, 2004), http://www.cirnetwork.org/idrm/reports/americas/countries/bolivia.html.

[21] Advancing Judicial Reform: An Environmental Case Study in Bolivia (New York: Human Rights First [formerly Lawyers Committee for Human Rights], n.d.), http://www.uoregon.edu/~caguirre/bolivia/html; interviews by author, La Paz, March-June 1997, December 1998.

[22] "Bolivia: Strengthen Investigation into Protest Deaths" (New York: Human Rights Watch, 22 December 2003), http://hrw.org/english/docs/2003/12/22/bolivi6847.htm.

[23] "Bolivia," Report on Judicial Systems in the Americas 2002 - 2003 (Santiago, Chile: Centro de Estudios Judiciales de las Americas, n.d.), 88, http://www.cejamericas.org/report; Daniel Mogrovejo, Informe sobre la Implementacion de la Reforma Procesal Penal en Bolivia (Ciudad de La Paz) (Santiago: Centro de Estudios de Justicia de las Americas, n.d.).

[24] "Bolivia: Judicial reforms underway," Report of the Justice Study Center of the Americas (2003) (Santiago: Centro de Estudios de Justicia de las Americas, 2003), http://www.cejamericas.org/reporte.html.

[25] USAID-Bolivia Administration of Justice Program (BAOJ)-phase III, Final Report, August 2001 - December 2003 (Washington, DC: U.S. Dept. of State, Agency for International Development, n.d.), 7; Mesa, Mensaje - Informe.

[26] USAID-Bolivia Administration of Justice Program, 6.

[27] Nardy Suxo, "La necesidad de un derecho a la informacion en Bolivia," in La Promocion de la democracia a traves del acceso a la informacion: Bolivia (Atlanta: Carter Center, 2004), 11-12; USAID-Bolivia Administration of Justice Program, 1-2.

[28] "La justicia sale de los palacios a los barrios populares," La Razon, 17 September 2004, http://ea.gmcsa.net/2004/09-septiembre/20040915/seguridad/septiembre/seg040915a.html.

[29] "El Presidente da el primer paso para renovar la justicia en el pais," La Razon, 1 August 2004, http://ea.gmcsa.net/2004/08-Agosto/20040801/El_Evento/Agosto/eve040801a.html; "La designacion de Mesa no es legal, segun Crespo," La Razon, 1 August 2004, http://ea.gmcsa.net/2004/08-Agosto/20040801/El_Evento/Agosto/eve040801c.html; "Los politicos pretenden retomar el control de los cargos judiciales," La Razon, 13 August 2004, http://www.la-razon.com/El_evento/Agosto/eve040813a.html.

[30] "Las acefalias en el Poder Judicial seran cubiertas hasta octubre" and "Los malos jueces seran alejados de sus cargos," La Razon, 11 August 2004, both at http://www.la-razon.com/El_evento/Agosto/eve040811a.html.

[31] "Rebellion succeeds, then fades from sight," Latin American Weekly Report, 18 May 2004, 5.

[32] "Las FFAA acusan a la justicia civil de afectar su integridad," La Razon, 8 August 2004, http://ea.gmcsa.net/2004/08-Agosto/20040808/Seguridad/Agosto/seg040808b.html; "Mesa promete a los militares una ley de proteccion especial," La Razon, 8 August 2004, http://ea.gmcsa.net/2004/08-Agosto/20040808/Seguridad/Agosto/seg040808a.html.

[33] Juan Forero, "Where the Incas Ruled, Indians Are Hoping for Power," the New York Times, 17 July 2004.

[34] "Corruption Perceptions Index 2004" (Berlin: Transparency International, 2004), http://www.transparency.org/cpi/2004/cpi2004.en.html.

[35] "La aprobacion de Mesa cae ocho puntos."

[36] Guadelupe Cajias de la Vega, "Certezas y dudas en el debate de una nueva norma," in La promocion de la democracia a traves del acceso de la informacion: Bolivia (Atlanta: Carter Center, 2004), 85.

[37] Unpublished report by Plan de Trabajo, Programa de Apoyo a la Lucha Contra la Corrupcion, Casals/USAID, November 2004-November 2005.

[38] Lupe Cajias, "Bolivia" (Washington, DC: Organization of American States [OAS], 2004).

[39] "Lupe Cajias no ve corrupcion en el Gobierno y se fija en las alcaldias," La Razon, 16 August 2004, http://www.la-razon.com/info_lunes/agosto/inf040816a.html; confidential interview by author, October 2004.

[40] Mechanism for Follow-up on Implementation of the Inter-American Convention against Corruption, Sixth Meeting of the Committee of Experts (Washington, DC: OAS, 26-30 July 2004).

[41] "El nuevo Fiscal hace planes y pide dinero para ejecutarlos," La Razon, 13 August 2004, http://www.la-razon.com/el_evento/Agosto/eve040813b.html; "Fiscalia General declarara 740 cargos en vacancia," La Razon, 11 August 2004, http://ea.gmcsa.net/2004/08-Agosto/20040810/Seguridad/Agosto/seg040810a.html.

[42] Aruquipa, "Terrorism Intensifies," 3-4.

[43] "Los partidos revelan como se cuotean el Parlamento," La Razon, 31 August 2004, http://www.la-razon.com/politica/Agosto/po1040831a.html; "Los escandalos en la Policia frenan los deseos de cambio," La Razon, 17 September 2004, http://www.la-Razon.com/seguridad/septiembre/seg040917c.html.

[44] Antonio Birbuet Dias, "Administracion publica y acceso a la informacion," in La Promocion de la democracia a traves del acceso a la informacion: Bolivia (Atlanta: Carter Center, 2004), 20 - 22.

[45] Mesa, "Mensaje - Informe."

[46] Cajias, "Certezas y dudas," 87.

[47] Miguel Solana, Portales de Transparencia: Delivering Public Financial Information to Citizens in Five Latin American Countries (Manchester, UK: University of Manchester, December 2003), http://www.e-devexchange.org/eGov/laportals.htm.

Countries at the Crossroads 2005

Country Report - Bolivia

Notes