Jean-Paul Faguet

Because for all the stuff that we were talking about in the first part of this chat, what Bolivia did not have was an industrial revolution. What it did have was 300 years of Spanish colonialism that completely remade the society from its genetic stock outwards. And so the key divide, Bolivia, unlike Colombia, unlike most of South America,

Because for all the stuff that we were talking about in the first part of this chat, what Bolivia did not have was an industrial revolution. What it did have was 300 years of Spanish colonialism that completely remade the society from its genetic stock outwards. And so the key divide, Bolivia, unlike Colombia, unlike most of South America,

But like Guatemala and to a lesser extent, Ecuador, Bolivia has a large number of indigenous people who self-identify as indigenous people, who look and sound like indigenous people, dress like it. Their first language that they speak at home is a non-European language.

But like Guatemala and to a lesser extent, Ecuador, Bolivia has a large number of indigenous people who self-identify as indigenous people, who look and sound like indigenous people, dress like it. Their first language that they speak at home is a non-European language.

It's typically Quechua or Aymara, those are the dominant two, or Guarani or any of another 30-some much smaller indigenous languages, especially in the Amazon region. And this is roughly, people, there's not a good measurement of this, different censuses have thrown up different numbers, but it's between 55 and 60% of the population, roughly, consider themselves to be indigenous.

It's typically Quechua or Aymara, those are the dominant two, or Guarani or any of another 30-some much smaller indigenous languages, especially in the Amazon region. And this is roughly, people, there's not a good measurement of this, different censuses have thrown up different numbers, but it's between 55 and 60% of the population, roughly, consider themselves to be indigenous.

Yeah. And in Mexico and in Argentina, Chile, the numbers vary, but they're low single digits. Whereas in Bolivia and in Guatemala, the indigenous people have really endured. Also in the highlands of Peru, but the lowlands of Peru are all, everyone's mixed up. So Colombians are all mixed up in one way or another. It's basically mestizo, some blend of indigenous people.

Yeah. And in Mexico and in Argentina, Chile, the numbers vary, but they're low single digits. Whereas in Bolivia and in Guatemala, the indigenous people have really endured. Also in the highlands of Peru, but the lowlands of Peru are all, everyone's mixed up. So Colombians are all mixed up in one way or another. It's basically mestizo, some blend of indigenous people.

with Spaniards, and then with some inclusion of blacks, all the slavery in Colombia. In terms of numbers, it was a horrible institution, but in terms of numbers, there were never nearly as many slaves as in the American South, for example. It wasn't that big a deal.

with Spaniards, and then with some inclusion of blacks, all the slavery in Colombia. In terms of numbers, it was a horrible institution, but in terms of numbers, there were never nearly as many slaves as in the American South, for example. It wasn't that big a deal.

So that's what happened. What happened with the collapse of the political party system is that a couple of institutional struts that had been sustaining the old system were pulled away in the turmoil around the time that Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada was chased out of the country.

So that's what happened. What happened with the collapse of the political party system is that a couple of institutional struts that had been sustaining the old system were pulled away in the turmoil around the time that Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada was chased out of the country.

Because of these demonstrations, there's a big demonstration in La Paz in particular, where something like 60, 65 people were killed by the police and the armed forces trying to repress the demonstration. And you just, you can't do this in Bolivia. You can actually do this in some countries, but killing 60 people is not acceptable in Bolivia. And the whole society rebels against it.

Because of these demonstrations, there's a big demonstration in La Paz in particular, where something like 60, 65 people were killed by the police and the armed forces trying to repress the demonstration. And you just, you can't do this in Bolivia. You can actually do this in some countries, but killing 60 people is not acceptable in Bolivia. And the whole society rebels against it.

And so the president had to flee.

And so the president had to flee.

And then you got a period of turmoil when you got the rise of Evo Morales So what we all know if you read the popular press About Bolivia is that you know the first indigenous president in the history of Latin America and that's completely true But that's not the story the story is the collapse of the previous elite led left-right system that just did not represent Bolivia and then

And then you got a period of turmoil when you got the rise of Evo Morales So what we all know if you read the popular press About Bolivia is that you know the first indigenous president in the history of Latin America and that's completely true But that's not the story the story is the collapse of the previous elite led left-right system that just did not represent Bolivia and then

largely because of decentralization. And when you created all of these local governments, you got a new class of politician competing for local government jobs, positions that you didn't have before, because before the local governments literally didn't exist. Everything was run out of La Paz.

largely because of decentralization. And when you created all of these local governments, you got a new class of politician competing for local government jobs, positions that you didn't have before, because before the local governments literally didn't exist. Everything was run out of La Paz.