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.