Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy

A new political era in the Andes

After years of political exclusion for the indigenous population, the political situation in Bolivia changed radically once Evo Morales took office in 2006. Having achieved popular approval for a new constitution in 2008, as well as victory in national elections in 2009 and local elections in 2010, President Morales and his political movement, El Movimiento Al Socialismo (MAS) now command a large enough majority at the national and local level to implement their political agenda without legislative obstruction.

Bolivia is now dominated by the MAS, at the expense of a number of traditional parliamentary parties, some of which no longer even exist. However, with the effectiveness of the political and parliamentary opposition now greatly reduced, politics in Bolivia remains polarised, despite having entered a period of relative stability.

fBDM’s mission: creating a culture of dialogue

One of the main objectives of NIMD’s Bolivia programme is to create a culture of dialogue not only within politics, but also within society at large, which is characterised by deep divisions between the rich media Luna (eastern lowlands) and the poor western highlands (mainly populated by indigenous peoples). Overcome the various but interlinked divisions will be one of the main challenges for the coming years.

NIMD's partner in Bolivia, fBDM, organises seminars, meetings and conferences, and offers a neutral space where political representatives can participate in dialogue. fBDM itself is governed by a multiparty board, which consists of political and civil society representatives. There is a special focus on young people within its programme, since they are the future political leaders of the country.

Democracy in the information age

When it comes to changing a culture, while it is necessary to focus on political society, it is also important to enlarge the focus and include general society in the dialogue. With this philosophy in mind, fBDM developed its multimedia strategy. The first product of the strategy was a special website launched in the lead-up to the 2009 elections with the purpose of informing people about the policies of all political parties.

In the same year, in close cooperation with the UNDP, fBDM launched the Aristas Politicas website, on which fifteen young political leaders blog on political events. The aim of the blog - which features young people from the MAS, Consensus Popular, MNR, AS and UN groupings, as well as Independents - is to stimulate dialogue and involve young people in politics. The website is part of a general programme on youth called Diálogo democratic Juventil.

Apart from these forays into the digital realm, since March 2010 fBDM has published an insert in the political newspaper Pulso. Every two weeks, on behalf of the foundation, various experts and political representatives discuss political issues of national importance. For example, in July 2010, an analysis was made of the proposals for statutes of autonomy in the Chuquisaca department. Download digital versions of the monthly inserts (PDF, Spanish).

Furthermore, in early 2010 fBDM published a book on the process of biometric registration. Against all expectations Bolivia succeeded in registering all citizens in time for the December 2009 elections, in a process that received a lot of international attention. The English version of the book can be downloaded here.

‘The Dialogue Box’ hits Bolivian TV screens

In addition to its use of radio, newspaper and internet channels, fBDM has now extended its media strategy with a television program called la Caja del Diálogo (The Dialogue Box). The show is broadcast every Sunday evening on channel Cadena A and provides an analysis of the political situation in Bolivia.

La Caja del Diálogo consists of four sections: ‘Interviews’ with opinion leaders, representatives from political or civil society; ‘Historical data’, which shows specific data, reports and newspaper articles; ‘Opinion’, where youngsters give their point of view of the subject; and finally, a 'Reflection' which summarises the different positions and provides an overview on the theme developed during the show.

According to Jorge Dulón, presenter of the programme and fBDM's Director of Communication, “the programme tries to improve the quality of social participation in politics and the capacity to influence politicians in an interactive and dynamic way.”

For general information on fBDM visit their website or contact NIMD staff in The Hague.