Democracy and Political Instability

On October 10th, 1982, when the UDP came to power and Dr. Hernán Siles Zuazo assumed the presidency, there was widespread new throughout Bolivia. The return to a democratic government offered the promise of a social and political structure that could sharply contrast with that of the military regimes that and ruled the country since 1966. In mid 1985 as the Siles regime came to a close, that hope was replaced by frustration and a fear of the future. The Siles Zuazo regime was a period of severe economic crisis and intense political turmoil. These events have given rise to much questioning about the ability of the Bolivian state to resolve the problems of democracy. The instability exhibited during the Siles regime has its roots in the crisis of the state brought about by the Revolution of 1952 as well as the post-revolution changes that occurred in Bolivian society and in the system of political participation. This chapter examines the political instability of the Siles Zuazo regime in the historical context of the influence of the factors that emanated from the revolution and analyses the political, economic and social factors that were in place during the Siles Zuazo presidency. More importantly, it also tries to interpret the interwoven elements of the political culture and the roles of the principal actors. In the new environment of political freedom, numerous actors demonstrated not only their values and traditions but also the importance of their highly individualized and particular interests, fears and passions