View source for Politics of Bolivia

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{{Update|date=March 2021}}
{{Politics of Bolivia}}
The '''politics of Bolivia''' takes place in a framework of a [[Presidential system|presidential]] [[Representative democracy|representative democratic]] republic, whereby the [[President of Bolivia|president]] is [[head of state]], [[head of government]] and head of a [[Diversity (politics)|diverse]] multi-party system. [[Executive power]] is exercised by the government. [[Legislative power]] is vested in both the government and the two chambers of parliament. Both the [[Judiciary]] and the [[electoral branch]] are independent of the executive and the legislature. After the [[2014 Bolivian general election]], 53.1% of the seats in national parliament were held by women, a higher proportion of women than that of the population.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SG.GEN.PARL.ZS?locations=BO|title=Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments (%) {{!}} Data|website=data.worldbank.org|access-date=2016-07-02}}</ref>

== History ==
The [[Bolivian Civil War]] between the Conservatives and the Liberals ended in 1899 with the latter's victory; a liberal era began that lasted until 1920. A system of public education developed, accompanied by moderate anticlericalism: Catholicism lost its status as the only religion recognized by the State in 1906 and civil marriage was adopted in 1911. Bolivian liberalism, however, clearly lost its progressive character to coexist with the interests of the new tin fortunes (the liberal era is sometimes also considered to be the tin era, with tin production having increased considerably), landowners and the army. Inspired by the example of the Ecuadorian [[Liberal Revolution of 1895]] led by [[Eloy Alfaro]], a new liberalism organized itself into a republican party and expressed some social concerns against the domination of the liberal oligarchy.<ref>Latin America in the 20th century: 1889–1929, 1991, p. 314-319</ref>

== Constitution==
{{main|Constitution of Bolivia}}
{{stack|[[File:Central La Paz Bolivia.jpg|thumb|[[La Paz]] is Bolivia's Seat of Government.]]}}
Bolivia's current constitution<ref>[http://www.presidencia.gob.bo/download/constitucion.pdf Bolivian Constitution of 2009] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110126075935/http://www.presidencia.gob.bo/download/constitucion.pdf |date=2011-01-26 }}{{in lang|es}}</ref> was adopted via [[2009 Bolivian constitutional referendum|referendum in 2009]], providing for a unitary secular state.

== Executive branch ==
[[File:Palacio Quemado (Palacio de Gobierno) y Catedral Metropolitana de La Paz, Bolivia.jpg|thumb|left|[[Palacio Quemado]], seats the [[executive power]].]]
The president is directly elected to a five-year term by popular vote. A candidate needs either an absolute majority or 40% and a 10-point lead to win the election. In the case that no candidate is elected in the first vote, a run-off vote elects the president from among the two candidates most voted in the first vote.<ref>«[https://web.archive.org/web/20090521023641/http://www.presidencia.gob.bo/download/constitucion.pdf Segunda Parte, Título II, Capítulo Primero, Sección II]» (PDF). ''Nueva Constitución Política del Estado''. p. 40. Archived May 21, 2009. Retrieved October 18, 2020.</ref>

[[Hugo Banzer]] was elected [[President (government title)|president]] in 1997. Although no candidate had received more than 50% of the popular vote in the national election, Banzer won a congressional runoff election on 5 August 1997 after forming the so-called "megacoalition" with other parties. He resigned in August 2001 and was substituted by his vice president [[Jorge Quiroga]]. In August 2002, the winner of the national election [[Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada]] was chosen president by [[National Congress of Bolivia|Congress]], winning an 84–43 vote against popular vote runner-up [[Evo Morales]]. Elected president [[Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada]] resigned in October 2003, and was substituted by vice-president [[Carlos Mesa]] who governed the nation until his resignation in June 2005.  He was replaced by chief justice of the Supreme Court [[Eduardo Rodríguez (politician)|Eduardo Rodríguez]], acting as caretaker president. Six months later, on December 18, 2005, [[cocalero]] leader [[Evo Morales]] was elected president.

A group of MEPs acting as election observers oversaw a constitutional referendum in Bolivia that gave more power to indigenous peoples 25 January 2009. The tightly fought referendum laid out a number of key reforms such as allowing President [[Evo Morales]] to stand for re-election, state control over natural gas and limits on the size of land people can own.
{{Cabinet of Luis Arce, 2020-}}

=== Ministries ===
Bolivia currently has twenty-one ministries in the executive branch. The heads of these ministries form the cabinet.

== Legislative branch ==
[[File:New addition to the Plurinational Legislative Assembly.jpg|thumb|The [[Plurinational Legislative Assembly]].]]
The [[Bicameralism|bicameral]] [[Plurinational Legislative Assembly]] consists of the [[Senate of Bolivia|Chamber of Senators]] (36 seats; members are elected by proportional representation from party lists to serve five-year terms) and the [[Chamber of Deputies of Bolivia|Chamber of Deputies]] (130 seats; 70 are directly elected from their districts, 63 are elected by proportional representation from party lists, and 7 are elected by indigenous peoples of most departments, to serve five-year terms).
{{clear}}

== Judicial branch ==
The judiciary consists of the [[Supreme Court of Justice (Bolivia)|Supreme Court of Justice]], the [[Plurinational Constitutional Court]], the Judiciary Council, Agrarian and Environmental Court, and District (departmental) and lower courts.
* [[Plurinational Constitutional Court]] — rules on the constitutionality of government or court actions
* [[Supreme Court of Justice (Bolivia)|Supreme Court of Justice]]
*  Agrarian and Environmental Court ({{langx|es|link=no|Tribunal Agroambiental}}) — highest court authority in matters of agriculture and the environment
* Judiciary Council ({{langx|es|link=no|Consejo de la Magistratura}}) — oversees the conduct of courts and judges, including misconduct and ethical violations
* District Courts (one in each department)
* Provincial and local courts

In October 2011, Bolivia held its [[Bolivian judicial election, 2011|first judicial elections]] to choose members of the national courts by popular vote. Twenty-eight elected members and twenty-eight alternates were sworn in on 3 January 2011 in Sucre.

===Plurinational Constitutional Court===
The members of the [[Plurinational Constitutional Court]], elected in October 2011, are: Ligia Velásquez, Mirtha Camacho, Melvy Andrade, Zoraida Chanes, Gualberto Cusi, Efraín Choque, and Ruddy Flores. The elected alternate members are: Isabel Ortuño, Lidia Chipana, Mario Pacosillo, Katia López, Javier Aramayo, Miriam Pacheco, and Rommy Colque.<ref name=LT3Jan>{{Cite news | title = Nace nueva etapa de la justicia boliviana | work = Los Tiempos | access-date = 2012-01-04 | date = 2012-01-03 | url = http://www.lostiempos.com/diario/actualidad/politica/20120103/nace-nueva-etapa-de-la-justicia-boliviana_155468_323922.html | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120105132546/http://www.lostiempos.com/diario/actualidad/politica/20120103/nace-nueva-etapa-de-la-justicia-boliviana_155468_323922.html | archive-date = 2012-01-05 | url-status = dead }}</ref>

=== Supreme Court of Justice ===
The members of the Supreme Court of Justice, elected in October 2011, are: Maritza Suntura (La Paz Department), Jorge Isaac Von Borries Méndez (Santa Cruz), Rómulo Calle Mamani (Oruro), Pastor Segundo Mamani Villca (Potosí), Antonio Guido Campero Segovia (Tarija), Gonzalo Miguel Hurtado Zamorano (Beni), Fidel Marcos Tordoya Rivas (Cochabamba), Rita Susana Nava (Tarija), and Norka Natalia Mercado Guzmán (Pando).<ref name=LT3Jan /> The elected alternate members are: William Alave (La Paz), María Arminda Ríos García (Santa Cruz), Ana Adela Quispe Cuba (Oruro), Elisa Sánchez Mamani (Potosí), Carmen Núñez Villegas (Tarija), Silvana Rojas Panoso (Beni), María Lourdes Bustamante (Cochabamba), Javier Medardo Serrano (Tarija), and Delfín Humberto Betancour Chinchilla (Pando).<ref name=LT3Jan /> Gonzalo Miguel Hurtado Zamorano was elected President of the Court on 3 January 2012.

The Supreme Court of Justice replaces the [[Supreme Court of Bolivia|Supreme Court]], active since Bolivia's founding in 1825.

=== Judiciary Council ===
The members of the Judiciary Council, elected in October 2011, are (in order of total votes received): Cristina Mamani, Freddy Sanabria, Wilma Mamani, Roger Triveño, and Ernesto Araníbar.<ref name=LT11Nov /> Cristina Mamani was elected by her peers as the first president of the Judiciary Council on 4 January 2012.<ref>{{Cite news | title = Consejo de la Magistratura elige a María Cristina Mamani Aguilar primera presidente | work = Los Tiempos | access-date = 2012-01-04 | date = 2012-01-04 | url = http://www.lostiempos.com/diario/actualidad/politica/20120104/consejo-de-la-magistratura-elige-a-cristina-mamani-primera_155667_324379.html | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131002121340/http://www.lostiempos.com/diario/actualidad/politica/20120104/consejo-de-la-magistratura-elige-a-cristina-mamani-primera_155667_324379.html | archive-date = 2013-10-02 | url-status = dead }}</ref>

=== Agro-environmental Court ===
The members of the Agro-environmental Court, elected in October 2011, are (in order of total votes received): Bernardo Huarachi, Deysi Villagómez, Gabriela Armijo Paz, Javier Peñafiel, Juan Ricardo Soto, Lucio Fuentes, and Yola Paucara. The elected alternate members are: Isabel Ortuño, Lidia Chipana, Mario Pacosillo, Katia López, Javier Aramayo, Miriam Pacheco, and Rommy Colque.<ref name=LT11Nov>{{Cite news | title = Votos nulos y blancos alcanzan 60% | work = Los Tiempos | access-date = 2011-11-11 | date = 2011-11-11 | url = http://www.lostiempos.com/diario/actualidad/politica/20111111/votos-nulos-y-blancos-alcanzan-60_149019_308796.html | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20111114101653/http://www.lostiempos.com/diario/actualidad/politica/20111111/votos-nulos-y-blancos-alcanzan-60_149019_308796.html | archive-date = 2011-11-14 }}</ref>

== Electoral branch ==
The electoral branch of Bolivia's government, formally the [[Plurinational Electoral Organ]], is an independent branch of government which replaced the [[National Electoral Court of Bolivia|National Electoral Court]] in 2010. The branch consists of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal, the nine Departmental Electoral Tribunals, Electoral Judges, the anonymously selected Juries at Election Tables, and Electoral Notaries.<ref>{{Cite news | title = Posesionan a cuatro Vocales del Tribunal Supremo Electoral | work = La Jornada | access-date = 2011-04-28 | date = 2010-08-16 | url = http://www.jornadanet.com/n.php?a=51574-1 | archive-date = 2011-07-13 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110713121138/http://www.jornadanet.com/n.php?a=51574-1 | url-status = dead }}</ref> Wilfredo Ovando presides over the seven-member Supreme Electoral Tribunal. Its operations are mandated by the Constitution and regulated by the Electoral Regime Law (Law 026, passed 2010). The Organ's first elections will be the country's first [[Bolivian judicial election, 2011|judicial election]] in October 2011 and five municipal special elections expected to be held in 2011.

== Local government ==
Bolivia is divided into nine departments (departamentos, singular – departamento); [[Chuquisaca Department|Chuquisaca]], [[Cochabamba Department|Cochabamba]], [[Beni Department|Beni]], [[La Paz Department, Bolivia|La Paz]], [[Oruro Department|Oruro]], [[Pando Department|Pando]], [[Potosí Department|Potosi]], [[Santa Cruz Department (Bolivia)|Santa Cruz]], [[Tarija Department|Tarija]]. 
Bolivia's nine [[Departments of Bolivia|departments]] received greater autonomy under the Administrative Decentralization law of 1995. Departmental autonomy further increased with the first popular elections for departmental governors, known as prefects, on 18 December 2005. Departments are governed by the elected governors (until 2010, prefects; and until 2005, appointed by the President) and by independently elected Departmental Legislative Assemblies (until 2010; Departmental Councils).

[[:Category:Cities in Bolivia|Bolivian cities and town]]s are governed by directly elected mayors and councils. Municipal elections were last held on 4 April 2010, with both mayors councils elected to five-year terms. The Popular Participation Law of April 1994, which distributes a significant portion of national revenues to municipalities for discretionary use, has enabled previously neglected communities to make striking improvements in their facilities and services.

== Political parties and elections ==
{{elect|List of political parties in Bolivia|Elections in Bolivia}}

The governing '''[[Movement for Socialism (Bolivia)|Movement for Socialism]]''' (''Movimiento al Socialismo'', MAS) is a Left-wing, [[Socialist]] political party led by [[Evo Morales]], founded in 1997. It has governed the country since 2006, following the first ever majority victory by a single party in the [[Bolivian presidential election, 2005|December 2005 elections]]. MAS evolved out of the movement to defend the interests of [[coca]] growers. Currently, the MAS stands as a party committed to equality, indigenous rights, agrarian land reform, Constitutional reform as well as nationalization of key industries with an aim to redistribute the returns through increased social spending. Among the poor, rural and indigenous population the MAS enjoys nearly unanimous support.

The right-of-center opposition includes a variety of political parties. During the 2005–09 political cycle the largest of these was '''[[Social and Democratic Power|PODEMOS]]''', a successor to Nationalist Democratic Action. In the 2009 elections, several parties and politicians united to form '''[[Plan Progreso para Bolivia – Convergencia Nacional]]''', whose presidential candidate, [[Manfred Reyes Villa]] and parliamentary slate came in second in the 2009 elections.

Three political parties were dominant from 1982 to 2005: The [[Revolutionary Nationalist Movement]] which had carried out the 1952 Revolution; [[Revolutionary Left Movement (Bolivia)|Revolutionary Left Movement]]; and [[Nationalist Democratic Action]] founded in 1982 by former dictator and later elected President [[Hugo Banzer]].<ref>"[http://www.laprensa.com.bo/noticias/30-12-09/noticias.php?nota=30_12_09_poli2.php Bolivia cierra un ciclo y emerge el nuevo Estado Plurinacional]{{dead link|date=March 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}," ''La Prensa'', December 30, 2009</ref> Despite the revolutionary names of the first two, they generally pursued centrist economic policies.

In October 2025, [[Rodrigo Paz Pereira|Rodrigo Paz]] of the centre-right [[Christian Democratic Party (Bolivia)|Christian Democratic Party]] (PDC) won the run-off race of the [[2025 Bolivian general election|election]] against right-wing former president [[Jorge  Quiroga]], meaning the end of governance by the Movement for Socialism (MAS) party and a clear political shift to the right.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Rowlands |first1=Lyndal |title=Bolivia elects centre-right Rodrigo Paz as president |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/10/20/bolivia-elects-centre-right-rodrigo-paz-as-president |work=Al Jazeera |language=en}}</ref>

Other parties include:

* [[Bolivian Socialist Falange]] or FSB – [[Romel Pantoja]]
* Civic Solidarity Union or UCS – [[Jhonny Fernández]]
* Free Bolivia Movement or MBL – [[Franz Barrios]]
* Marshal of Ayacucho Institutional Vanguard or VIMA – [[Freddy Zabala]]
* [[Revolutionary Left Movement (Bolivia)|Movement of the Revolutionary Left]] or MIR – [[Jaime Paz Zamora]]
* Movement Without Fear or MSM – [[Juan Del Granado]]
* [[Nationalist Democratic Action]] or ADN –
* Socialist Party or PS – [[Jerjes Justiniano]]

== Social movements ==
Some of Bolivia's social movements are:
* Cocalero Groups – [[Evo Morales]]
* "El Alto" Social Movements [[Roberto De La Cruz]]
* indigenous organization: Aymara Indigenous Confederate Movements [[Felipe Quispe]]
* "El Alto" [[FEJUVE]] [[Abel Mamani]]
* [[Central Obrera Boliviana|labor unions]]
* [[Confederación Sindical Única de Trabajadores Campesinos de Bolivia|Sole Confederation of Campesino Workers of Bolivia]] or CSUTCB – [[Roman Loayza]]
* Autonomic Oriental Party

== International affairs ==

'''International organization participation:'''

[[Bolivarian Alliance for the Americas|ALBA]], CAN, [[Community of Latin American and Caribbean States|CELAC]], FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur (associate), MIGA, MINUSTAH, MONUC, NAM, OAS, ONUB, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, [[Rio Group|RG]], UN, UNAMSIL, UNASUR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIK, UNMIL, UNMISET, UNOCI, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

<!--The [[Economist Intelligence Unit]] has rated Bolivia as "[[Democracy Index#Classification definitions|hybrid regime]]" in 2016.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.eiu.com/public/topical_report.aspx?campaignid=DemocracyIndex2016|title=Democracy Index 2016 – The Economist Intelligence Unit|last=solutions|first=EIU digital|website=www.eiu.com|language=en|access-date=2017-12-01}}</ref>-->

== See also ==
*[[Censorship in Bolivia]]
*[[History of Bolivia]]
*[[List of presidents of Bolivia]]

== Notes ==
{{notelist}}

== References ==
* Information cited from- [http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/public/story_page/029-47353-026-01-05-903-20090128STO47352-2009-26-01-2009/default_en.htm The European Parliament News Service- Article on EU Observers in Bolivia] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090204041037/http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/public/story_page/029-47353-026-01-05-903-20090128STO47352-2009-26-01-2009/default_en.htm |date=2009-02-04 }}
*{{CIA World Factbook}}
*{{StateDept}}

{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.diputados.bo/ Chamber of Deputies of Bolivia] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160225184046/http://www.diputados.bo/ |date=2016-02-25 }}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20050401025958/http://www.senado.bo/ Senate of Bolivia]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20130410181559/http://www.presidencia.gob.bo/ Presidency of Bolivia]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20130503235804/http://suprema.poderjudicial.gob.bo/ Supreme Court of Bolivia]
*[http://upsidedownworld.org/main/content/view/1764/1/ Decolonization's Rocky Road: Corruption, Expropriation and Justice in Bolivia] by Benjamin Dangl, March 14, 2009
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20090610072819/http://americas.irc-online.org/am/6093 Plan 3000: Resistance and Social Change at the Heart of Racism] by Raúl Zibechi, ''America's Program Report'', April 30, 2009

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{{Bolivia topics}}
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[[Category:Politics of Bolivia| ]]