Politics and political participation in Bolivia - Statistics & Facts
On August 6th, 1825, after 16 years of war led by Simon Bolivar, Bolivia became independent from the Spanish crown. However, democracy would not arrive in the Latin American country until 1982, when the Bolivian people were able to overthrow the military regime of General Guido Vildoso and install a government led by Hernán Siles Suazo.
After weeks of violent protests accusing Evo Morales of vote manipulation, the 37th year of democracy marked the end of his thirteen years in office, which culminated in his resignation. In 2020, Luis Arce became the 67th president of Bolivia (12th Constitutional President since Siles' appointment) in a delayed election due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Arce, who served as the Minister of Finance and the Minister of Economy and Public Finance during Morales' administration, has not been popular with citizens, only a third of whom approve of the government's performance.
According to the constitution of the South American nation, citizens above 18 years of age must vote, except for those living abroad or those over 70 years old. In the 2020 general election, where 7 million people were eligible to vote, approximately 90 percent of those registered voted and 95 percent of the ballots were valid. In 2021, more than seven million people were registered on the voter's list; among them, 3.6 million were women.
In 2023, the country faces a difficult political situation. The corruption scandal involving members of the government, the political violence against elected female politicians, and the withdrawal of presidential support from Evo Morales have led 79 percent of the population to believe that the country is going in the wrong direction. In addition, 77 percent believe that the government is doing a poor job of helping citizens with their personal finances.
After weeks of violent protests accusing Evo Morales of vote manipulation, the 37th year of democracy marked the end of his thirteen years in office, which culminated in his resignation. In 2020, Luis Arce became the 67th president of Bolivia (12th Constitutional President since Siles' appointment) in a delayed election due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Arce, who served as the Minister of Finance and the Minister of Economy and Public Finance during Morales' administration, has not been popular with citizens, only a third of whom approve of the government's performance.
Bolivian democracy
Despite its low democracy index score, 51 percent of the population expressed a preference for democracy over any other form of government in 2023. While half of the country is satisfied with this form of government, support has declined from 71 percent in 2009, reflecting growing civic dissatisfaction with Morales' presidency throughout his term.According to the constitution of the South American nation, citizens above 18 years of age must vote, except for those living abroad or those over 70 years old. In the 2020 general election, where 7 million people were eligible to vote, approximately 90 percent of those registered voted and 95 percent of the ballots were valid. In 2021, more than seven million people were registered on the voter's list; among them, 3.6 million were women.
Key political figures and public institution evaluation
Even though only a third of the Bolivian population approves of the government of President Luis Arce, the approval rating shows wide variations when looking at the opinions of experts or the different departments of the country. President Arce's highest approval rating (59%) comes from the La Paz department, where most respondents approve of his actions. In contrast, the Santa Cruz department, where the right-wing governor Luis Fernando Camacho governs, is the region where 80 percent of the population disapproves of the Bolivian leader.In 2023, the country faces a difficult political situation. The corruption scandal involving members of the government, the political violence against elected female politicians, and the withdrawal of presidential support from Evo Morales have led 79 percent of the population to believe that the country is going in the wrong direction. In addition, 77 percent believe that the government is doing a poor job of helping citizens with their personal finances.
