Summary

Praise for the previous edition:
"...the author's devotion to Bolivia and concern for its future shines through...Recommended."—Choice

The historic election in 2005 of Evo Morales Ayma marked a radical and transformative moment in Bolivia's history. It was the first time that a democratic election ushered in change on the scale of the 1952 National Revolution, emancipating the indigenous population, abolishing involuntary servitude, and extending voting and land ownership rights.

A Brief History of Bolivia, Second Edition offers a concise yet comprehensive account of the history of Bolivia—from the time of its first ancient civilizations near the shores of Lake Titicaca to the most recent social and political developments. This revised edition opens with an overview of precolonial Bolivia and traces the country's history through Spanish exploration, the Chaco War and its aftermath, the challenge of democracy, and Morales's attempts to emphasize local autonomy over a centralized authority. It also reexamines Bolivia's foreign relationships—especially with the United States—and the ongoing drug war, the significance of Morales as Bolivia's first indigenous president both within the country's borders and abroad, and how his decisions and changes will shape Bolivia's future.

Coverage includes:

• The culture and history of the largely indigenous Indian population
• Challenges to nationhood presented by Bolivia's extreme landscape and climate
• The age of caudillo rule
• The 1952 National Revolution, during which the existing conservative government was overthrown
• Consequences of the Andean drug war and the rise of Morales's cocalero movement
• Attempts to address the racism that still plagues the country's people
• The impact Bolivia's natural gas resource has on its global economic standing.

Specifications

Black-and-white photographs. Maps. Tables. Index. Bibliography. Suggested reading. Chronology. Basic facts. Sidebars.

About the Author(s)

Waltraud Q. Morales is professor of political science at the University of Central Florida. She obtained an M.A. and a Ph.D. from the Graduate School of International Studies of the University of Denver. Morales specializes in Latin American politics, with an emphasis on the Andean region and Bolivia; Third World development; and comparative revolutionary change. She has been the recipient of grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities and Fulbright teaching, research, and study grants to Bolivia in 1990 and 2004. Her publications include "After Fidel: What Future for U.S.-Cuban Relations?" and Bolivia: Land of Struggle.