"Recovering the Memory" - Chapter 1: Bolivia's Destiny - Part 2

Day 2,058, 15:13 • Published in Bolivia Spain • by Treinta Monedas
From the book "Recuperando la Memoria" written by Rafael Puente

Second Question:

The second question is as important as the first and is related to it: How come a country, born supposedly as independent and as the most promissory one on the South American region, just after 50 years of his birth is already the last among the countries of this region?

Let's not forget that the Spanish Empire grappled to the Audiencia de Charcas with all its strengths more than with any other region during the emancipation of the Americas. The Spanish Empire, resigned to lose, let Great Colombia go and so did with Chile, the United Provinces of La Plata River, Mexico and Central America; but with Peru and Charcas it resisted more.

Once liberated Peru, the last royalist battalion in South America -the General Olañeta's one- the debate came around the present Bolivian territory. The Independency War in this country was longer and bloodier than in any other of that time. Which is nowadays Bolivian ground was the first uprising region among the spaniard colony and also the last one liberated in the early nineteenth century.

The legendary wealth of the new republic aroused envy among its neighbours. That is how Tarija, that in 1825 was already counted as one of the "United Provinces of La Plata River" -former name of the present Argentina- decided by open council to become part of Bolivia. That is also why, 15 years later, in the Peruvian cities of Cuzco, Puno and Arequipa, had place some proposals and soon civilian revolts demanding that those cities could also be part of Bolivia. Even Jujuy tried to look the same as Tarija because those years the future of Bolivia seemed more interesting. That is why later the existence of a Peruvian-Bolivian Confederation was taken as a menace for the region.

Those were the days when the Bolivian troops allowed themselves to defeat Peru first in the battlefield -battle of Yanacocha and Socabaya (1835-1836)- then Chile in the battle of Paucarpata and later Argentina in the battles of Iruya, Humahuaca and Montenegro in 1838.

How come then is Bolivia, just 50 years after being born, the weakest, poorest and fragmented nation of South America, condemned to a progressive disintegration of its territory, condemned to an endless submission of its economy and condemned to a steady deterioration of its quality of life getting for this nation always the lowest social-economical rates of the region? After appearing as possibly one of the most venturous countries of the region in the begining, now we are going after the penultimate place among Nicaragua and Honduras letting the last place for Haiti. How come can be explained such an involution in such a short historical period of time?

To explain, it is not enough the historical data about the colonial and neo-colonial usurpation. It is not regarding to our present binding to global economy, which is also shared with the whole Latin America. So, what, economically and socially shapes Bolivia's differences? Neither is valid to suggest it is up to the territorial disintegration which Bolivia has sistematically been victim of. In that case the question goes back this other way: How has that territorial disintegration been posible without pay back and precisely coming from the most promising country of the region?

Those two questions are broad enough and pressing enough, perhaps their answers should lighten the dramatic destiny of this country and its distressing present.