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84-547: Government of Bolivia Opposition groups The 2003 La Paz riots , commonly referred to as Black February ( Spanish : Febrero Negro ), was a period of civil unrest in La Paz , Bolivia, that took place between 12 and 13 February 2003. The riots were instigated by the imposition of a progressive salary tax —dubbed the impuestazo —aimed at meeting the International Monetary Fund's goal of reducing

168-550: A 0.5% reduction in consumption and transaction taxes. Further, the project proposed a 10% reduction in the bureaucratic expenses of the State: the central government, legislature, and judiciary. By doing this, Sánchez de Lozada hoped to release Bs280 million back into the economy. The controversy arose in the plan's imposition of a wage tax beginning with those earning more than Bs880 (US$ 116) per month and increasing incrementally until it reached 12.5%. As reported by Los Tiempos ,

252-430: A 40% increase in police wages. Additionally, they sought a modification to the tax bill so that it would only apply to the most affluent sectors of society, those earning the equivalent of $ 660 per month. If their demands were met, the officers pledged to cease protesting. Although Minister of Government Alberto Gasser had publicly stated that the tax bill was "non-negotiable", he did nonetheless meet with Police High Command

336-537: A 40% pay increase—the agreement returned around 22,000 law enforcement agents to the streets. With the return of police, the riots quickly subsided. Thirty-one people, between civilians, police, and soldiers, died as a result of the unrest, with a further 268 wounded. At the time, it was the worst period of violence since the country's transition to democracy in 1982. Three days after the riot subsided, in an opinion-piece published by Opinión , columnist Lorgio Orellana stated that "a most serious wound has been inflicted on

420-516: A President, first and second Vice Presidents, and three or four Secretaries (for the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies, respectively). Each party is said to have a seat ( Spanish : bancada ) consisting of its legislators. The representatives of each department comprise a brigade ( brigada ). Each house considers legislation in standing committees . The Chamber of Senators has 36 seats. Each of

504-489: A Senate seat is 35 years. The Chamber of Deputies comprises 130 seats, elected using a seat linkage based mixed compensatory system (for mixed-member proportional representation ): 70 deputies are elected to represent single-member electoral districts , 7 of which are Indigenous or Campesino seats elected by the usos y costumbres of minority groups, 60 are elected from party lists on a departmental basis. Deputies also serve five-year terms, and must be aged at least 25 on

588-457: A deterioration in terms of trade and the reversal in capital flows . By the end of 2002, Bolivia, entering its fifth year of recession , faced a dire financial crisis: unemployment lay at 7.7%, GDP growth that year measured just 2.5%—well below the projected 8%—and external debt had reached 54.2% of GDP. Most urgently, the country's fiscal deficit had skyrocketed from 3.3% of national income in 1997 to 8.7% in 2002. The latter factor prompted

672-610: A public conference between the country's leading political parties and social movement organizations . By the end of the day, the government successfully brokered a deal with the PN that, among other aspects, granted police the payment of government bonds , compensation for the families of dead or injured officers, and the allocation of funds for the procurement of new equipment and uniforms. Save for some holdouts—such as around 2,000 security personnel who rioted in Palmasola prison demanding

756-468: A public statement saying that it "regretted the tragic events in Bolivia", denying that it bore any responsibility for the violence, and pledging to continue negotiations with the government. By 2005, both sides had still been unable to reach consensus on a long-term lending agreement. In their analysis of events, Jim Shultz and Lily Whitesell wrote that "over and over again, when confronted with realities on

840-402: 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. The governing 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

924-411: A stable image to foreign investors. Instead, the president and his advisers agreed on a second proposal, a progressive income tax targeting the wealthiest 4% of the population, generating US$ 20 million per year. Given the relatively low amount of revenue this would generate, it was agreed to expand the tax to all individuals earning twice the national minimum wage . In a speech delivered to the nation on

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1008-478: 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. The Bolivian Civil War between

1092-589: Is the national legislature of Bolivia , placed in La Paz , the country's seat of government. The assembly is bicameral , consisting of a lower house (the Chamber of Deputies or Cámara de Diputados ) and an upper house (the Chamber of Senators , or Cámara de Senadores) . The Vice President of Bolivia also serves as the ex officio President of the Plurinational Legislative Assembly. Each house elects its own directorate:

1176-577: The Bolivian Workers' Center (COB), which broke off social security negotiations it was carrying out with the government, declaring a twenty-four-hour general strike . For its part, the Unified Syndical Confederation of Rural Workers of Bolivia (CSUTCB) proposed an open "revolt" against the government in coordination with other trade union organizations. Business interests also opposed the bill, deeming it harmful to

1260-570: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) to demand that the Bolivian government cut its deficit to 5.5% of GDP. Such an undertaking necessitated a cut of US$ 250 million, 8% of the national budget . Failure to comply would have led the IMF to withdraw a long-term lending agreement. Without such an agreement, the Bolivian government faced the loss of not only Fund loans but also millions of dollars in foreign aid from Denmark, Germany, and Sweden. Following

1344-617: The Organization of American States (OAS) requesting an impartial investigation into "acts of terrorism that affect the security of the population and the rule of law itself". In response, on the same date, the Permanent Council of the OAS adopted Resolution CP/RES. 838 (1355/03) determining the body's decision: OAS Secretary-General César Gaviria met on 6 March with President Sánchez de Lozada. The OAS agreed to collaborate with

1428-566: The Palacio Quemado – the "Burnt Palace" – on account of repeated attempts to raze it to the ground in the 19th century) and the cathedral of Nuestra Señora de La Paz. Prior to becoming the seat of the legislature in 1904, the congress building had, at different times, housed a convent and a university . The Vice-President, in his capacity as President of Congress, has an imposing suite of offices on Calle Mercado in central La Paz. The building, designed by Emilio Villanueva ,

1512-587: The Palacio Quemado —the presidential palace —and other government institutions were located. Throughout the morning, police in and around the capital abandoned their posts, gathering near the Plaza Murillo and GES headquarters armed with weapons and riot control equipment . They were joined by cadets bused in from the National Police Academy as well as firefighters and a small amount of retirees. Some officers positioned themselves on

1596-1333: 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. 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). 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). Gonzalo Miguel Hurtado Zamorano

1680-668: The Plurinational Electoral Organ , is an independent branch of government which replaced the 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. Wilfredo Ovando presides over the seven-member Supreme Electoral Tribunal. Its operations are mandated by

1764-595: The Supreme Court of Justice , the Plurinational Constitutional Court , the Judiciary Council, Agrarian and Environmental Court, and District (departmental) and lower courts. In October 2011, Bolivia held its 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. The members of

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1848-465: The impuestazo . Deputy Evo Morales —leader of the opposition and head of the cocalero trade unions—decried Sánchez de Lozada's tax proposal as an attempt to "unload the economic crisis on the backs of the people". The People's General Staff—a consortium of social organizations opposed to the government of which Morales held membership—announced mobilizations in Cochabamba against the tax. As did

1932-431: The "serious social problems" the policies required to reach the organization's target could cause. In order to meet the IMF's demands, the government first set its sights on foreign oil producers, developing a taxation plan that would have generated up to US$ 160 million per year. However, this proposal was quickly shelved by President Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada , who feared that it would harm the country's ability to project

2016-1217: 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 ; and Nationalist Democratic Action founded in 1982 by former dictator and later elected President Hugo Banzer . Despite the revolutionary names of the first two, they generally pursued centrist economic policies. Other parties include: Some of Bolivia's social movements are: International organization participation: ALBA , CAN, 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, RG , UN, UNAMSIL, UNASUR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIK, UNMIL, UNMISET, UNOCI, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO Plurinational Legislative Assembly   MAS-IPSP (21) Opposition (15):   Civic Community (11)   MAS-IPSP (75) Opposition (55):   Civic Community (39) The Plurinational Legislative Assembly ( Spanish : Asamblea Legislativa Plurinacional )

2100-805: 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). Bolivian cities and towns 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

2184-737: The Chamber of Deputies, elected on 19 January 2010, is Héctor Arce (MAS-IPSP). 33 of 130 deputies (25.38%) are women. Congressional elections were held on 18 December 2005, concurrently with the 2005 presidential election . The Chamber of Deputies had the following leadership: President Edmundo Novillo Aguilar (MAS, Cochabamba); First Vice President Julia Ramos (MAS); Second Vice President Oscar Urenda ( Social Democratic Power , Podemos); First Secretary Oscar Chirinos (MAS); Second Secretary Alex Cerrogrande (MAS); Third Secretary Jorge Becerra ( National Unity Front , UN), and Fourth Secretary Roxana Sandoval ( Revolutionary Nationalist Movement , MNR). Congressional elections were held on 30 June 2002. After

2268-794: The Chambers of Deputies, while the MSM has four. Congressional elections were held as part of general elections on 9 December 2009. After the votes were counted, party strengths in Congress were as follows: The President of the Senate was Ana María Romero de Campero (MAS-IPSP, La Paz), elected on 19 January 2010, but she died on 26 October 2010. Seventeen of 36 members of the Senate are women. The 26-member MAS-IPSP majority includes all four senators from La Paz, Oruro, and Potosí; three senators from Cochabamba and Chuquisaca; and two senators from each of Santa Cruz, Beni, Pando, and Tarija. The President of

2352-577: 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

2436-618: The Constitution and regulated by the Electoral Regime Law (Law 026, passed 2010). The Organ's first elections will be the country's first judicial election in October 2011 and five municipal special elections expected to be held in 2011. Bolivia is divided into nine departments (departamentos, singular – departamento); Chuquisaca , Cochabamba , Beni , La Paz , Oruro , Pando , Potosi , Santa Cruz , Tarija . Bolivia's nine departments received greater autonomy under

2520-573: The Eighth Criminal Sentencing Court in La Paz held a hearing to make way for the commencement of the trial, but as of 28 November 2024, it has not been initiated. Bolivian government The politics of Bolivia takes place in a framework of a presidential representative democratic republic, whereby the president is head of state , head of government and head of a diverse multi-party system. Executive power

2604-555: The Foreign Ministry building was shot in the leg, while another was shot in the head, dying instantly. The PN's Immediate Action Group (GAI) arrived at GES headquarters soon after, carrying long storage boxes—presumed to be containing sniper rifles —that they brought into the National Institute of Agrarian Reform. Police also occupied the building housing Radio Nueva América, seizing apartments and offices between

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2688-560: The Judiciary Council on 4 January 2012. 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. The electoral branch of Bolivia's government, formally

2772-489: The PN would be executing "Plan Red", warning citizens to stay in their homes. Privately, however, he resumed dialogue with Brigadier General Hugo Tellería and Defense Minister Freddy Teodovich in a meeting mediated by Sacha Llorenti of the Permanent Assembly of Human Rights of Bolivia (APDHB). A short ceasefire was reached in order to facilitate further negotiations. The military agreed to withdraw its forces from

2856-535: The Palacio Quemado and forcing the policemen to retreat to the Legislative Palace. A small contingent of soldiers attempted to disperse the students but was fired on with tear gas by PN officers. Lacking gas masks , the soldiers withdrew into the palace, leaving the building's exterior unguarded. Given the lack of security, the students began stoning the palace's façade , shattering windows on

2940-524: The Palacio Quemado] responded to a pre-established plan to assassinate the president of the Republic of Bolivia". A total of nineteen people—nine police officers, six civilians, and four soldiers—were charged for the deaths that occurred. The trial against them was installed in 2008, but various legal challenges have led to the suspension or postponement of over twenty hearings. On 24 August 2021,

3024-417: The Plaza Murillo and Palacio Quemado, maintaining formation in the face of a growing crowd of protesting police and civilians, who levied shouts, obscenities, and tear gas. Elsewhere, the military occupied the corner of Comercio and Socabaya streets and began advancing north along Bolívar Street towards Ballivián Street, where another group of protesters had gathered. Police responded by lobbing tear gas, causing

3108-462: The Prosecutor's Office in its investigation of events, providing technical cooperation as well as international experts in the field of criminal investigation . In compliance with the Bolivian government's request, the OAS also published a full report describing the events that occurred between 12 and 13 February, outlining the body's conclusions in this regard and making recommendations to prevent

3192-581: The afternoon of 13 February. Guards at the Bolivian Customs Service were overpowered, with looters stealing trucks full of imported merchandise. In El Alto, looters stormed the local Coca-Cola plant, breaking down the surrounding brick walls and overwhelming security and company employees attempting to repel them. By this point, the army had been deployed in an attempt to quell the unrest. At the Coca-Cola plant, Air Force troops fired on

3276-408: The army to retreat south and take up defensive positions around the Legislative Palace. At one point, a 17-year-old PN firefighter, Julián Huáscar Sánchez, was shot in or near the eye by a rubber bullet . Despite surviving the initial shot, he later died from his injuries, becoming one of the first casualties of the deadly events that soon unfolded. Major Vargas subsequently reported to local media that

3360-646: The capital and elsewhere in the country, protests erupted demanding Sánchez de Lozada's resignation. Large demonstrations against the government were carried out in Cochabamba , Oruro , and Santa Cruz de la Sierra . These were supported by the CEPB and the COB, the latter of which publicly declared the president "arrogant" and "incapable" and demanded that he resign, calling for popular demonstrations in all nine departmental capitals. In response, Sánchez de Lozada assured that he had no intentions of stepping down, instead calling for

3444-530: The country's fiscal deficit from 8.7% of GDP to 5.5%. The legislation mobilized a diverse array of groups against the proposal, including business sectors, trade unions , and university students. The culmination of public unrest came when the National Police Corps mutinied against the government, leading to violent armed confrontations between police and the Army . On the second day of rioting,

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3528-415: The country's nine departments returns four senators elected by proportional representation (using the D'Hondt method ). (From 1985 to 2009, the Senate had 27 seats: three seats per department: two from the party or formula that receives the most votes, with the third senator representing the second-placed party.) Senators are elected from party lists to serve five-year terms, and the minimum age to hold

3612-407: The country. Sánchez de Lozada agreed, and an hour later, in a televised address to the nation, the president announced the suspension of the tax plan and the withdrawal of the bill from Congress. He also ordered the withdrawal of military forces, pleading for the populace to end the violence. By that point, Mesa states it was already realized that "the city, without a government, without a police force,

3696-423: The day of the election. Party lists are required to alternate between men and women, and in the single-member districts, men are required to run with a female alternate, and vice versa. At least 50% of the deputies from single-member districts are required to be women. Both the Chamber of Senators, and the proportional part of the Chamber of Deputies is elected based on the vote for the presidential candidates, while

3780-590: The deputies from the single-member districts are elected separately. The legislative body was formerly known as the National Congress ( Spanish : Congreso Nacional ). The 2010–2015 Plurinational Legislative Assembly were controlled in both houses by the governing Movement for Socialism (MAS-IPSP) , elected with a 2/3 supermajority . Just four incumbent members of the 2005–2010 Congress returned: Deputy Antonio Franco; Deputy Javier Zabaleta (MAS-IPSP/MSM); Senator René Martínez (MAS-IPSP), who

3864-554: The dramatic reality". Outside the Palacio Quemado, the situation was rapidly deteriorating. Between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m., students from the Ayacucho School abandoned their campus to join the protests in the plaza but were repelled on the corner of Ayacucho and Comercio streets by crowd control units from the Police Academy, who used tear gas to disperse them. However, they later reconvened, making their way towards

3948-505: The economy by reducing consumption, increasing unemployment, and promoting the informal economy , which evades tax payments. In an emergency meeting, the Confederation of Private Entrepreneurs of Bolivia (CEPB) requested an urgent meeting with Sánchez de Lozada to negotiate a reversal of the president's tax project. Sánchez de Lozada stood firm on his stance, justifying that any other budget plan would be infeasible without "endangering

4032-463: The evening of 9 February 2003, President Sánchez de Lozada presented to Congress his fiscal austerity proposal within the framework of the 2003 General Budget of the Nation. With a focus on bolstering the economy and creating new jobs, the legislation projected a 25% increase in public investment—totaling some US$ 1 billion—a 2.45% increase in the minimum wage from Bs 430 to Bs440.5—just over US$ 58—and

4116-529: The events of February, the IMF stood its ground on the claim that the Bolivian government had fully agreed with the 5.5% target. However, Carlos Mesa —the then-vice president—stated that the government had told IMF officials that the budget cuts required to meet their goal were too drastic. Nonetheless, according to National Budget Director Edwin Aldunate, the IMF stood firm on the stated 5.5%, rejecting Bolivia's counteroffer to aim for 6.5%, despite being warned of

4200-535: The executive branch. The heads of these ministries form the cabinet. The bicameral Plurinational Legislative Assembly consists of the Chamber of Senators (36 seats; members are elected by proportional representation from party lists to serve five-year terms) and the 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). The judiciary consists of

4284-511: The first ever majority victory by a single party in the 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

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4368-467: The following day. Gasser arrived at GES headquarters at 6 a.m. on the morning of 12 February, where he told Vargas and other senior officers that the tax could not be withdrawn due to the government's commitment to the IMF. By that point, uniformed and plainclothes police officers from various units had begun to congregate around the headquarters, located half a block from the Plaza Murillo , where

4452-531: The government and police reached an agreement, and law enforcement quelled the unrest, by which time mobs had stoned the Palacio Quemado , set the Vice President's Office and the Ministry of Finance on fire, and attacked other public and municipal buildings. The official death toll was listed at thirty-one deaths and 268 injured, with the Organization of American States attributing all responsibility for

4536-497: The government's tax reform bill. At the center of these discussions was the Special Security Group (GES) under the command of Major David Vargas  [ es ] . Vargas had a history of aiding and abetting acts considered "seditious" by the government, having previously participated in the so-called Cochabamba Water War just under three years prior, though he never faced legal repercussions. The GES demanded

4620-465: The ground floor and up to the second floor. In an attempt to protect the building, palace guards fired tear gas at the students. According to Vargas, the tear gas, which reached police headquarters, was taken as an act of provocation, causing the police to fire back. By this point, an army contingent about a thousand strong moved in to occupy the plaza, commencing a standoff between soldiers and police. Army units continued to take up positions in and around

4704-436: The ground that fall short of their theories and predictions, IMF and World Bank officials place the blame not on the theory but on faulty implementation by poor governments. But the options open to poor governments are much more difficult than the IMF is willing or able to admit." One day after the riots were quelled, on 14 February, Foreign Minister Carlos Saavedra Bruno  [ es ] transmitted an urgent request to

4788-528: The headquarters of the country's main political parties, destroying the offices of Sánchez de Lozada's Revolutionary Nationalist Movement and those of the Revolutionary Left Movement , his main coalition partner. The former—an antique building from the early 20th century—sustained such heavy damage that it collapsed in on itself, leaving only the exterior walls intact. Protests and riots in all parts of La Paz and El Alto continued into

4872-532: 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. Bolivia's current constitution

4956-425: The legitimacy of the current social regime, from which it will take years to recover, if it is not first swept away by a popular insurrection". The events that came to be known as "Black February" served as a precursor to prolonged public discontent with President Sánchez de Lozada's administration. Within eight months, the president had resigned and fled the country in the face of a resurgent wave of violence. The IMF

5040-423: The looters, killing four and wounding several more. Sometime after noon, Ronald Collanqui, a 28-year-old handyman, was sighted on the roof of a building and was shot from across the street by a police sniper who mistook him for an enemy combatant. At 1:20 p.m., Ana Colque, a 24-year-old student nurse , was shot through the chest while attempting to apply first-aid to Collanqui; both died from their injuries. In

5124-512: The measure would have affected the wages of 500,000 workers, amounting to 5% of the population and around 25% of the salaried population. For those in the lowest income bracket , such as nurses, police, and teachers, the tax hike equated to two additional dollars per month or enough to buy food for three days. The president's tax announcement was near-unanimously repudiated by the general public, with businessmen, opposition political parties, and trade unions all threatening to mobilize in protest of

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5208-450: The military was no longer confident in its ability to protect him inside the building and requested that he evacuate the palace. In the ensuing days, multiple outlets reported that the president was smuggled out in an ambulance. Mesa called that theory "lying nonsense", assuring that Sánchez de Lozada left in the presidential car as part of a caravan of a dozen other vehicles: "You would have to be extremely inept to choose an ambulance having

5292-493: The plaza center, and in exchange, the police would halt their demonstrations. At some point during the military withdrawal, around 2 p.m., the situation escalated, and live ammunition was exchanged between the military and national police. Which side shot first is unclear, with police claiming it was the military. The official report of events lays blame on the police, stating that a contingent of officers arrived on Comercio Street brandishing weapons as they exited their vehicles. As

5376-495: 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 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

5460-460: The presidential armored car—the only armored vehicle in the palace that day—   ...". The president, vice president, and cabinet spent the rest of the day at Sánchez de Lozada's private residence in Obrajes . At 3:30 p.m., Ombudsman Ana María Romero called Vice President Mesa asking him to relay to the president her request that he withdraw the tax hike to avoid a wider catastrophe across

5544-502: The recurrence of similar happenings. The OAS attributed blame for the unrest to the PN, stating that what occurred between 12 and 13 February was an "insubordination by members of the police against the Bolivian Constitution and laws". However, the report also included that, though Sánchez de Lozada's life was endangered, "at the moment, there is not enough evidence to affirm categorically that said shots [that were fired at

5628-477: The roof of the GES and from there made their way to the adjacent Foreign Ministry building. At 10 a.m., about 100 police officers began marching through the plaza itself, shouting their demands at the windows of the Palacio Quemado, where President Sánchez de Lozada, Vice President Mesa, and the cabinet had convened an emergency meeting the hour prior. After a brief discussion between the president and his ministers, it

5712-472: The sixth and tenth floors, from which they fired on military units below. An infantry captain standing on the roof of the Palacio Quemado was shot dead and a soldier attempting to aid him was also killed. From inside the palace, Mesa states that "what I saw was hell". He likened the events to the violent riots that culminated in the lynching of President Gualberto Villarroel in 1946. At around 1:30 p.m., Tellería informed President Sánchez de Lozada that

5796-527: The social upheaval to the National Police. A total of nineteen people were charged for the deaths caused, and the trial against them was installed in 2008. However, the legal process has since stalled; as of 2024, the trial has not yet been initiated. Starting in 1998, the Bolivian economy —characterized by a period of slow growth since 1986—entered into a slowdown phase induced by external troubles:

5880-450: The soldiers retreated to Ayacucho Street, they fired tear gas behind them, at which point a fire-fight commenced. Sociologist Natalia Camacho Balderrama recounts that "for one day, the center of the city of La Paz, seat of government, served as a 'battlefield', [with] indiscriminate crossfire". From the roof of the Foreign Ministry, police units shot tear gas and ammunition at the soldiers, who responded in kind. A police officer walking outside

5964-452: The stability of our economy   ... If a budget like this is not approved, [Bolivia] will go into economic collapse ". The announced tax was also a topic of discussion among the rank and file officers of the National Police Corps (PN), as their Bs880 monthly salaries stood to be directly affected. The majority Aymara police force, characterized by a respect for community decision-making where resolutions are final, resolved to oppose

6048-460: The tax bill. Snow offered US$ 15 million, an amount Sánchez de Lozada found insulting and unacceptable. Exasperated, the president responded, in perfect English, that with that he "couldn't even afford to pay for the cigars he smoked" and hung up. Shortly thereafter, the palace chief of security instructed everyone to move to the third floor. As recounted by Mesa, the conversation shifted focus to macroeconomics "in an unspoken intention to separate from

6132-482: The votes were counted, party strengths in Congress were as follows: The next election was scheduled to take place in June 2007, but was brought forward to December 2005 on a decision from interim President Eduardo Rodríguez . The two chambers of Congress meet in the legislative palace located on Plaza Murillo , La Paz's main city-centre square. Plaza Murillo is also flanked by the presidential palace (informally known as

6216-559: Was a deputy; and Senator Róger Pinto, previously of Podemos and now representing PPB-CN. As part of a break between the MAS-IPSP and its ally the Without Fear Movement (MSM), the latter party's four deputies, elected on the MAS slate pledged in late March 2010, "to act in accord with our political identity, with our conscience, and with the people who elected us with their vote." Consequently, MAS-IPSP now has 84 members in

6300-404: Was abandoned to its fate". In the absence of rule of law, La Paz devolved into anarchy, engulfed by a wave of looting , rioting, and vandalism. Vandals targeted multiple public buildings, with government and municipal institutions bearing the brunt of the damage. A total of seven buildings were set on fire, which, given the absence of firefighters, continued to smolder into the night. Most notable

6384-415: Was adopted via referendum in 2009 , providing for a unitary secular state. 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. Hugo Banzer

6468-458: Was also questioned for its role in pushing for public policies that resulted in mass unrest. Economist Carlos Villegas assured that "in addition to the stubbornness of the government, [responsibility for the violence of February lies on] the IMF, which imposes economic policies". Morales, in turn, deplored the Fund, stating that it "provokes bloodshed [and] confrontation". On 14 February, the IMF issued

6552-552: Was chosen president by 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 , acting as caretaker president. Six months later, on December 18, 2005, cocalero leader Evo Morales

6636-469: Was elected 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

6720-465: Was elected President of the Court on 3 January 2012. The Supreme Court of Justice replaces the Supreme Court , active since Bolivia's founding in 1825. 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. Cristina Mamani was elected by her peers as the first president of

6804-433: 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. Bolivia currently has twenty-one ministries in

6888-430: Was erected during the 1920s and was originally intended to serve as the headquarters of Bolivia's central bank ( Banco de la Nación Boliviana ). Under Jaime Paz Zamora 's 1989–1993 presidency , the building was reassigned to the vice-presidency, but the vice-presidential staff did not relocate entirely until major reconstruction and renovation work, starting in 1997, had been carried out. The Library of Congress and

6972-512: Was resolved not to give in to the PN's demands but to instead attempt to negotiate with Vargas and his mutineers. Sánchez de Lozada delegated this difficult task to his presidency, government, and defense ministers: Carlos Sánchez Berzaín  [ es ] , Alberto Gasser, and Freddy Teodovich, respectively. Shortly after 10:30 a.m., the president got into contact with US Treasury Secretary John W. Snow to request US$ 120 million in aid in order to add some flexibility to possible amendments to

7056-601: Was the Vice Presidency, which caught on fire at around 5 p.m. As the building burned, the vice president's security team worked to safeguard the archives at the Library of Congress from being consumed by the flames. Other buildings that sustained heavy damage included the Ministry of Finance, which was looted and burned, and the El Alto Mayor's Office, which suffered a large assault by rioters. Mobs also targeted

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