Political Networks and Social Movements: Bolivian State–Society Relations under Evo Morales, 2006–2016 (CEDLA Latin America Studies Book 106)

After a landslide electoral victory in 2006, Evo Morales became the first indigenous President of Bolivia. Morales’s stunning ascent was mirrored by the rising fortunes of his political party, the leftist Movimiento al Socialismo, which today continues to challenge the status quo in Bolivian politics and implement ambitious social reforms. This study examines how the state and social movements have impacted democratization in Bolivia, along with other sectors such as NGOs and the media. Soledad Valdivia Rivera’s analysis helps us to understand how the movement's relationships have come to transform the Bolivian political process as we know it. After a landslide electoral victory in 2006, Evo Morales became the first indigenous President of Bolivia. Morales's stunning ascent was mirrored by the rising fortunes of his political party, the leftist Movimiento al Socialismo, which today continues to challenge the status quo in Bolivian politics and implement ambitious social reforms. This study examines how the state and social movements have impacted democratization in Bolivia, along with other sectors such as NGOs and the media. Soledad Valdivia Rivera's analysis helps us to understand how their relationships have come to transform the Bolivian political process as we know it Contents Illustrations Introduction 1 Social Movements, the State and Political Networks in the Construction of Democracy in Latin America 2 Social Movements in the Neoliberal State: Evolution of the Social Movement into a Political Actor 3 The ‘State–Society Interface’ and ‘Political Networks’ Social Movements and the Bolivian Constituent Process, 2006–2009 4 ‘Political Networks’ in the Post- Constituent Period, 2010–2016 5 Political Leadership and ‘Political Networks’ Conclusion References Index Political Networks and Social Movements examines the relationship between the State and social movements under the administration of current Bolivian president Evo Morales. Author Soledad Valdivia Rivera analyzes how this linkage has come to transform the essence of the Bolivian political process as we know it.