INDIGENOUS ATTITUDES TOWARD THE POLITICAL SYSTEM IN BOLIVIA

Abstract

Bolivia has experienced remarkable political transformation since the turn of the 21st century. After centuries of political exclusion, indigenous peoples5 helped bring the first nationally successful indigenous political party to power, winning majorities in the legislature and the executive. The MAS (Movimiento al Socialismo, or Movement towards Socialism) and President Evo Morales, who took office in 2005, represented a historic shift in the political power and engagement of indigenous people in Bolivia. Unlike many ethnically based political parties, however, the MAS has adopted an inclusive approach to indigenous identity (Anria, 2013, 2018; Madrid, 2008, 2012). In this paper we investigate how indigenous people view the political system before and after this historic change in representation. In particular, we focus on indigenous peoples’ support for the political system, comparing attitudes of indigenous and non-indigenous people before and after the election of Evo Morales and the MAS. The question