Bolivia: A difficult path

Abstract

This article analyzes events in Bolivia’s social and political scene from the October 2003 insurrection to the referendum on “hydrocarbon policy” held on July 18, 2004. The many local initiatives of resistance and struggle, as well as the systematic efforts to articulate collective action, indicate that although the Carlos Mesa government managed to regain the political initiative through the referendum, social instability and the potential for popular transformation remain open.