The New Left in Bolivia under der South-South Relationship

• In Event: South-South relations and the politics of development

Abstract

The New Left in South America acts under the geopolitical shifting from North-South to South-South relations, thanks to the economic rise of China and other Eastern Asian countries. I will analyze how the global constellation affects Evo Morales administration.
Morales regained state control over the hydrocarbon resources and some service industries. Thanks to the high international prices for raw materials triggered by the economic emergence of China Morales could afford a redistributive policy that allows the repositioning of the lower echelons of the Bolivian society and defy the US-led hegemony in the region.
Despite Morales’ radical rhetoric, the economic changes brought about by his government have been less significant than the political ones. The old problems of dependency of an extractive economy are still prevalent, such as the volatility of raw material prices on international markets, the temptation to overspend revenues when the prices are high, and the corresponding growth of foreign debt. I will discuss this ongoing process in Bolivia, assessing its accomplishments and shortcomings.

Author

• Magda Z Von der Heydt, Johns Hopkins University