Carlos Mesa facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Carlos Mesa OCA OSP OMAA OMM
Official portrait, 2004
63rd President of Bolivia
In office 17 October 2003 – 9 June 2005
Vice President	Vacant
Preceded by	Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada
Succeeded by	Eduardo Rodríguez Veltzé
37th Vice President of Bolivia
In office 6 August 2002 – 17 October 2003
President	Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada
Preceded by	Jorge Quiroga (2001)
Succeeded by	Álvaro García Linera (2006)
Leader of Civic Community
Incumbent
Assumed office 13 November 2018
Preceded by	Alliance established
Official Representative of Bolivia for the Maritime Claim
Ad honorem
In office 28 April 2014 – 1 October 2018
President	Evo Morales
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Position dissolved
Personal details
Born	Carlos Diego de Mesa Gisbert (1953-08-12) 12 August 1953 (age 71) La Paz, Bolivia
Political party	Revolutionary Left Front (2018–present)
Other political affiliations	Independent (before 2018)
Spouses	Patricia Flores Soto ​ ​ (m. 1975; div. 1978)​ Elvira Salinas Gamarra ​ (m. 1980)​
Children	Borja Ignacio Guiomar
Parents	José de Mesa Teresa Gisbert
Education	San Calixto School San Estanislao de Kotska School
Alma mater	Complutense University of Madrid Higher University of San Andrés
Occupation	Historian journalist politician
Awards	List of awards and honors
Signature

Carlos Diego de Mesa Gisbert (born 12 August 1953) is a Bolivian historian, journalist, and politician. He served as the 63rd president of Bolivia from 2003 to 2005. Before that, he was the 37th vice president of Bolivia from 2002 to 2003.

Mesa became famous as a journalist and TV host. In 2002, Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada asked Mesa to be his vice-presidential running mate. They won the election, but soon disagreed on how to handle major protests. When Sánchez de Lozada resigned in 2003, Mesa became president.

As president, Mesa faced many challenges. He held a national vote on how to use Bolivia's natural gas, which passed. However, protests continued, and he struggled to work with the country's legislature. He resigned in 2005 to help calm the political situation.

After his presidency, Mesa returned to journalism. In 2014, President Evo Morales asked him to be the international spokesman for Bolivia's effort to gain access to the Pacific Ocean. This work made him popular again, and he ran for president in 2019 and 2020. He lost both elections but became the leader of the main opposition group in Bolivia's government.

Early Life and Career

A Young Life in Bolivia and Spain

Mesa with his family in 1965.

Carlos Mesa was born on August 12, 1953, in La Paz, Bolivia. His parents, José de Mesa and Teresa Gisbert, were famous Bolivian architects and historians. He has three younger siblings.

Mesa went to San Calixto School in La Paz. In 1970, he moved to Spain and finished high school in Madrid. He then studied at the Complutense University of Madrid. After three years, he returned to Bolivia and earned a degree in literature from the Higher University of San Andrés (UMSA) in 1978.

Mesa, aged 18, as a student at the Complutense University of Madrid.

Career as a Journalist

Mesa started his career in journalism while he was still in college. In 1976, he helped start the Bolivian Cinematheque, an archive for films. He also worked in radio, hosting and producing news shows.

His big break came in television. In 1983, he began hosting a popular interview show called De Cerca. On the show, he interviewed important political figures. The show was a huge success and made him a well-known person across Bolivia.

In 1990, Mesa co-founded a TV production company called Associated Journalists Television (PAT). PAT produced a news program that aimed to be independent from government control. It became one of the most important news sources in the country.

Vice Presidency (2002–2003)

Entering Politics

Mesa was vice president under Gonzálo Sánchez de Lozada but left the government after major protests in October 2003.

For years, Mesa was asked to enter politics, but he always said no. He preferred being an independent journalist. However, in 2002, former president Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada asked him to be his running mate for vice president.

Sánchez de Lozada's team believed Mesa's popularity could help them win. After thinking it over, Mesa accepted the offer. He wanted to help solve Bolivia's economic problems and fight corruption.

The election in June 2002 was very close. Sánchez de Lozada and Mesa won with 22.5% of the vote. They formed a coalition with another party to get enough support in Congress. On August 6, 2002, Mesa became the Vice President of Bolivia.

A Difficult Vice Presidency

Official vice-presidential portrait, 2002.

As vice president, Mesa focused on fighting corruption. He created a special team to investigate dishonest practices in the government. However, he often disagreed with President Sánchez de Lozada.

In February 2003, the government announced a new tax that led to major riots. The situation became even more serious in October 2003 during the Gas Conflict. This was a series of huge protests over the government's plan to export natural gas through Chile.

When the government used the military against protesters, many people were killed. Mesa strongly disagreed with this violence. On October 13, he announced he could no longer support the president. He did not resign as vice president, because he wanted to ensure there was a clear successor if the president left office. Four days later, Sánchez de Lozada resigned, and Mesa became president.

Presidency (2003–2005)

Taking Office in a Crisis

Mesa became president with a lot of public support. He promised to address the issues that caused the protests. This included holding a vote on the gas export plan and creating a new constitution. This plan was called the "October Agenda."

He formed a cabinet of experts who were not part of any political party. This made it hard to work with Congress, which was controlled by the traditional parties.

One of his first acts was to visit El Alto, the city at the center of the protests. He promised justice for the victims of the violence. He also asked Congress to investigate Sánchez de Lozada and his government for their actions.

Key Policies and Challenges

The Economy and Government

Mesa's government faced a big economic challenge. To save money, he cut his own salary and the salaries of other top officials. He also introduced a new tax on large bank transactions. These actions helped reduce the country's budget deficit.

The Gas Referendum

On July 18, 2004, Mesa held a national referendum (a special public vote) on natural gas. The vote had five questions about how Bolivia should manage and sell its gas. All five questions passed with strong support. The results were a major victory for Mesa's government.

After the vote, Mesa tried to pass a new hydrocarbons law. However, he could not agree with Congress on the details. The final law, passed in May 2005, was not what he wanted.

Regional Autonomy

Another major issue was the demand for more autonomy, or self-rule, from regions like Santa Cruz. Mesa supported the idea of letting regions elect their own leaders, called prefects.

In January 2005, after large protests in Santa Cruz, Mesa agreed to hold a referendum on autonomy. He also issued an order to allow for the election of prefects.

Resignation

Mesa's relationship with Evo Morales, a key protest leader, was complicated. They sometimes worked together and sometimes were opponents.

Despite some successes, Mesa struggled to govern. He faced constant pressure from protesters and a difficult Congress. In March 2005, he offered to resign, but Congress rejected it.

By June 2005, the country was paralyzed by strikes and roadblocks. Unwilling to use force against protesters, Mesa resigned for good on June 6. To avoid more conflict, he asked the leaders of Congress to also give up their right to become president.

This allowed Eduardo Rodríguez Veltzé, the head of the Supreme Court, to become the new president. Rodríguez Veltzé's main job was to organize new elections.

After the Presidency

Return to Journalism and Public Life

Mesa at a conference in São Paulo, 2016.

After leaving office, Mesa returned to his work as a journalist and writer. He wrote a book about his time as president and created a documentary series about Bolivian history.

In 2014, President Evo Morales gave him an important job. Mesa became the international spokesman for Bolivia's legal case against Chile. Bolivia was asking the International Court of Justice to require Chile to negotiate giving Bolivia access to the sea.

Mesa traveled the world to explain Bolivia's position. This work made him a popular figure again. In 2018, the court ruled that Chile was not required to negotiate. Mesa urged Bolivians to accept the decision.

Return to Politics

Running for President

Map of the annulled 2019 election results by department.

Mesa's work on the maritime case made him a leading opposition figure. In October 2018, he announced he would run for president in the 2019 election. He formed a new political alliance called Civic Community.

The election was held on October 20, 2019. Early results suggested that Mesa and President Morales would face each other in a second-round runoff. However, the official count was suddenly stopped. When it resumed, it showed Morales had won enough votes to avoid a runoff.

Mesa and his supporters claimed the election was fraudulent. This led to massive protests across the country. The crisis ended with Morales resigning from the presidency in November 2019. A temporary government was formed, and new elections were scheduled.

2020 Election

Map of the 2020 election results by department.

Mesa ran for president again in the new election held in October 2020. He faced Luis Arce, the candidate from Morales's party, MAS.

Arce won the election in the first round with over 55% of the vote. Mesa came in second with about 29%. He accepted the results and became the leader of the largest opposition group in the legislature.

Images for kids

• 

  Mesa discusses his book at the Miami Book Fair, 2014.

• 

  Mesa attends the funeral of Pope John Paul II, 8 April 2005.

• 

  Presidents of Bolivia, Brazil, and Peru open a bridge connecting Brazil and Peru, 11 August 2004.

• 

  Cover of The Book of the Sea, a book about Bolivia's claim for sea access, which Mesa helped create.

See also

In Spanish: Carlos Mesa para niños