Summary — Issue 02 / 2004 H. C. F. Mansilla: Manipulated Modernization: The Case of Bolivia
		The Latin American democratization process (roughly 1980-2000) was not completely successful. In recent years it has increasingly been superseded by economic setbacks, cultural disenchantment, and political unrest. One important expression of this development was the collapse of the Bolivian neoliberal government (under President Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada) in October 2003, due to a popular uprising with a strong ethnic component. This government did not lack democratic legitimacy, and yet it was perceived as elitist and foreign-dominated. The Bolivian case shows disillusionment with the modest results of both democratization and modernization processes. The democratic order established in Bolivia in 1982 did not alter (i) long-established political-institutional patterns of behavior and (ii) the dominance of the ruling political elites. As a result, it was unable to fulfill the expectations generated in the first decade of democratization. There was no effective expansion of political participation, no integration of the large Indian groups, no improvement in the oversight of government actions, no modernization of public administration, no reduction in corruption, and no progress in relation to living standards. This state of affairs may be elucidated in terms of developments in the administration of justice and the environmental authorities. Despite comprehensive reforms sponsored by the World Bank and other international organizations, Bolivia's justice and environmental institutions have not been able to cope with conventional corruption and inefficiency. The establishment of a Ministry for Sustainable Development and the Environment signals a new urgency concerning environmental issues. However, the Ministry principally serves economic interests and has not halted the destruction of the rainforest. Regarding the justice system, despite the new institutions and statutes, protracted proceedings and bribery remain. Bolivia's social and economic elites have embraced Western development goals and "talk the [modernization] talk," but persist in premodern behavioral patterns, including an authoritarian political culture and corruption.
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	© Friedrich Ebert Stiftung   net edition: malte.michel | 06/2004   Top