Booker T. Washington High School
Model United Nations Club
Country Briefing: Bolivia
With a population of 8.5 million, Bolivia is a rapidly-growing state located on the highland plateau of South America. Its main problems are overcoming its legacies of poverty and dictatorship to build a prosperous and democratic state. Major progress has been made since the 1980s, but Bolivia still has a long way to go.
Historical Overview: Bolivia is named after revolutionary hero Simon Bolivar, who in the 1820s helped to shake off Spanish colonial rule throughout the continent. Afterwards, Bolivia was governed by a clique of landowners and wealthy businessmen for many years. Political violence was always a problem. There have been some 200 coups, or violent changes in leadership, since 1825. The Chaco War of 1933-35 left Bolivia in ruins, as neighboring states seized much of Bolivia's territory, including its access to the sea. In recent years, Bolivia has moved in the direction of liberal democracy, with parties competing in elections for office. The military, the only institution strong enough to guarantee order for many years, now respects law and order a little more. Still, tension between rich and poor, between descendants of Europeans and those of Amerindian origin, and other issues continue to unsettle this poor country. On top of these problems, Bolivia must overcome geographic isolation to integrate its economy into global markets. Until it does, it will continue to suffer from poverty, unrest and reliance on foreign aid. With a per capita GDP of $2,500, Bolivia is one of the poorest countries in Latin America.
Diplomatic Agenda
Politics and Security: Bolivia no longer fears war with its neighbors -- the US ensures stability in the region and would make acts of aggression difficult. These days, the army is used to maintain domestic order and to watch out for smugglers. Nevertheless, Bolivia faces some serious security concerns. One fear is that its own army will once again intervene in politics, sweeping away the new democratic order. Another is border issues -- it is too easy for drug traffickers, terrorists and revolutionaries to cross borders within South America, and tracking them is very difficult. Bolivia's entire defense budget last year was only $147 million -- a tiny fraction of the US budget. One objective should be to secure military aid from the US Pentagon.
Economics and Trade: As a poor state, Bolivia needs economic development. Conventional wisdom holds that the best way to do that is to attract foreign direct investment (FDI), foreign aid and to integrate into global markets. The best sources of FDI come from banking institutions like the International Monetary Fund, or from multinational corporations like the oil company CITGO. Bolivia is revising its legal structure to make it easier for foreigners to invest in its natural resources. But Bolivia will also need foreign aid to improve, and so it will have to compete with other states for money from the US and Brazil. The final recommendation of your economists is that you lower trade barriers with your major trade partners. Hopefully, a few reforms and some international support can turn your country around. But how will your culture handle all the new foreign influences? Could this disrupt your fragile society? And might globalization make your country more vulnerable to global economic shocks?
Human Rights: Bolivia has a large Indian population. Many of these Indians are poor, ill-educated and lack political power. They are beginning to form a movement to demand their civil and economic rights. This is a common concern all over South America. It might be helpful to discuss these issues with other countries -- or this might just create an international problem out of a national one. Another strategy might be to distract international attention away from your own human rights issues by directing attention to problems in other countries, like Venezuela, Colombia, Cuba or Haiti. Review the issues on the Human Rights agenda, and think about what you might bring up for discussion. Remember the crucial problem for human rights advocates: poverty. Poor countries have a harder time protecting human rights. Bolivia is very poor.
Environment: Bolivia faces environmental challenges typical to the region, including deforestation, soil erosion, desertification, and threats to clean drinking water. Most of these are related to population pressures and the need for economic development. Bolivia supports the Kyoto Protocols, which call on countries to limit their pollution levels. Discussing environmental issues is fine as long as it focuses on other countries -- the US never ratified Kyoto, for example, and Brazil's rate of rainforest devastation is much greater. Each year, an area along the "arc of devastation" equal to the state of New Hampshire is cleared by farmers and ranchers. Bolivia would prefer to discuss these problems.