History of Bolivia (1964–1982) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Republic of Bolivia República de Bolivia
1964–1982
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: "¡La unión es la fuerza!" (Spanish) "Unity is Strength!"
Anthem: Himno Nacional de Bolivia  (Spanish) "National Anthem of Bolivia"
Capital	Sucre, La Paz
Common languages	Spanish, Quechua, Aymara, Guaraní, others
Religion	Roman Catholicism (official)
Government	Presidential republic under a military dictatorship
President
• 1964-1969	René Barrientos (first)
• 1969	Luis Adolfo Siles Salinas
• 1969-1970	Alfredo Ovando Candía
Vice President
• 1964-1982	List
Legislature	Junta of Commanders of the Armed Forces
Historical era	Cold War
• Coup d'état	November 4 1964
• Disestablished	October 10 1982
HDI (1980)	0.494 low
Currency	Bolivian peso
ISO 3166 code	BO
Preceded by Succeeded by Bolivia Bolivia

The history of Bolivia from 1964 to 1982 was a time of big changes and often unstable leadership. During these years, Bolivia was mostly ruled by military leaders instead of elected ones. This period began on November 4, 1964, when General René Barrientos took power from the elected president, Víctor Paz Estenssoro.

Barrientos later won an election in 1966. However, he died in a helicopter crash in 1969. After his death, several military leaders took control through sudden changes in power, known as coups. These included General Ovando, General Juan José Torres, and then Hugo Banzer Suárez. Banzer ruled for seven years, from 1971 to 1978. During his time, Bolivia's economy grew, but people wanted more political freedom.

After Banzer, Bolivia went through a very unstable period. There were nine different presidents, both civilian and military, in just four years (1978–1982). Finally, in 1982, Bolivia returned to a democratically elected government with Guido Vildoso as president. This marked the end of a challenging era for the country.

Barrientos's Time as President

Alfredo Ovando

On November 4, 1964, René Barrientos Ortuño and General Alfredo Ovando Candia took over the presidential palace. They declared themselves co-presidents. However, the people gathered outside cheered more for Barrientos. So, Ovando let Barrientos be the main president, while he led the armed forces.

Barrientos, who spoke the Quechua language, said he wasn't trying to undo the Bolivian National Revolution. He promised to guide it back to its "true path." His government continued many of the previous president's policies. They focused on reducing government spending.

Bolivia's economy improved during Barrientos's rule, growing by about 6.5% each year. Tin prices went up, which helped the state-owned mining company, Comibol, make a profit. Barrientos also encouraged private businesses and foreign companies to invest in Bolivia. He allowed the Gulf Oil Company to export oil and natural gas.

In 1966, Barrientos won the presidential election, making his rule official. He formed a political group called the Popular Christian Movement. He won the election with support from conservative politicians, businesses, and farmers.

Barrientos tried to get support from people in the countryside. He signed an agreement called the Military-Peasant Pact in 1964. This agreement meant that farmer groups would support the army and oppose left-wing ideas. But when he tried to tax farmers, they reacted strongly, and he lost some of their support.

Barrientos also tried to control the labor unions. He took away many of the benefits workers had gained earlier. He put the state mining company, Comibol, under military control. He also removed the power of union leaders to make decisions in management.

The president cut miners' pay and reduced the number of workers at Comibol. He also broke up the main labor union, the Bolivian Labor Federation (COB). He stopped all strikes and took away weapons from miners' groups. Union leaders were sent away from the country. In 1967, military troops shot and killed miners and their families at the Catavi-Siglo XX mines.

Even with these actions, Barrientos couldn't completely silence the workers. Miners led the growing opposition against him. Many groups were angry that he was selling Bolivia's natural resources to the United States on terms that seemed too favorable. They also didn't like that he invited United States companies to invest in Bolivia, giving them special benefits.

A big scandal happened when Barrientos's close friend, Colonel Antonio Arguedas, went to Cuba. Arguedas announced that he had been a secret agent for the United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). This made many Bolivians very angry. The military was also upset about the important role United States officers played in capturing and killing Ernesto "Che" Guevara in Bolivia in 1967. Guevara had tried to start a guerrilla movement there.

Barrientos died in a helicopter crash on April 27, 1969. His vice president, Luís Adolfo Siles Salinas, took over briefly. But the real power stayed with the armed forces, led by General Ovando. Ovando took power on September 26, 1969, with the support of military officers who wanted reforms.

New Ideas: Ovando and Torres Lead Bolivia

Ovando, who had been co-president before, became president from 1969 to 1970. He canceled the elections that were planned for 1970 and closed the Congress. He chose a new government that included civilians who wanted reforms and had opposed Barrientos. Ovando hoped to get support from both civilians and the military with his plan for "revolutionary nationalism."

This idea of "revolutionary nationalism" was similar to past military reform governments. It also reflected the spirit of the 1952 Revolution. Many military officers believed that the army had to get involved in politics to help Bolivia develop. They thought that civilian governments had failed. They believed the military should fight against social unfairness and economic dependence.

Ovando did some popular things, like taking control of the Gulf Oil Company's properties for the government. But he still didn't get much public support. People were excited about the nationalization at first, but this didn't last. There were disagreements about how much to pay the company. Also, other countries stopped buying Bolivian oil, and the economy slowed down.

Even though Ovando made the main labor union (COB) legal again and removed troops from mining areas, workers didn't fully support him. Workers were frustrated by broken promises and the killing of miners by the military in 1967. They became more radical and refused to work with the military government.

While left-wing groups became more extreme, right-wing groups grew tired of Ovando's changing statements. He even suggested getting rid of private property. Even when Ovando tried to move towards conservative ideas later in his rule, he couldn't get support from conservative groups. This only showed how weak his position was.

Ovando's reform plans also caused divisions within the military. Officers who wanted reforms started to support the more radical General Juan José Torres. Ovando had fired Torres as his military commander. On the other side, conservative officers supported General Rogelio Miranda.

The confusion when Ovando was overthrown showed how divided the armed forces were. After a failed coup attempt by Miranda on October 5, 1970, military officers demanded that both Ovando and Miranda resign. A group of three leaders tried to take control on October 6, but they couldn't get enough support. On October 7, Bolivia was close to a civil war after the COB called for a general strike. General Torres then became president as a compromise choice.

Torres's time as president was marked by a lack of strong leadership. He mostly reacted to pressure from different groups rather than leading with his own plans. His interior minister called Torres's government the "ten months of emergency."

Torres tried to keep civilian support by moving towards left-wing policies. He took control of some United States-owned properties, like the waste processing at the Catavi tin mines and the Matilde zinc mine. He also ordered the United States Peace Corps program to leave Bolivia. While reducing United States influence, Torres increased cooperation with the Soviet Union and its allies in economic and technical areas.

However, Torres lacked a clear plan and political experience. He soon upset all parts of Bolivian society. He found it hard to organize left-wing groups because they made demands he couldn't meet, like giving them half of all government positions. Workers, students, and left-wing parties wanted a socialist country. They saw Torres's government as just a step towards that goal.

In June 1970, Torres's government created the Popular Assembly. This group was made up mostly of workers' and farmers' representatives. It was meant to be a base for big changes in society. But the left-wing groups were divided by different ideas and rivalries. They couldn't agree on important issues, like workers having full control in businesses or creating armed groups. No agreement was reached, and many delegates left early because they couldn't make their decisions happen and ran out of money. The Popular Assembly ended up weakening the government. It created a situation where people's organizations acted on their own, separate from the state.

Torres hoped to calm conservative opposition by avoiding big changes. But this didn't win him the support of right-wing groups, especially the powerful business community. Conservative groups united against him because they saw a chance to regain political power by working with right-wing military officers. The military also became more divided because they were unhappy with Torres's disorganized leadership. Torres had cut the military budget to spend more on education. He also allowed civilians to interfere in military matters and often let military disobedience go unpunished.

The military's discipline broke down even further when a group of younger officers wrote a statement questioning military authority. This led to widespread military support for a coup on August 21, 1971. Colonel Hugo Banzer Suárez, a former military commander whom Torres had sent away, led this coup.

Banzer's Rule: Stability and Economic Growth

Hugo Banzer

Colonel Hugo Banzer ruled Bolivia for six years, from 1971 to 1978. This was one of the longest continuous presidencies in recent Bolivian history. Banzer's time as president was known for being politically stable and for impressive economic growth. At first, he was supported by the Nationalist Popular Front. This was a group formed by two former enemy parties: the MNR, led by Paz Estenssoro, and the FSB, led by Mario Gutiérrez. The chaos of the Torres government brought these parties together with conservative military officers.

During the first years of Banzer's presidency, the economy grew quickly. Exports tripled between 1970 and 1974. This was because Bolivia produced more oil, natural gas, and tin. The tin was processed in Bolivian factories. Cotton production in the Santa Cruz area also tripled between 1970 and 1975.

Despite this economic growth, Bolivia returned to harsh control like in earlier governments. The new interior minister, Colonel Andrés Sélich, cracked down on left-wing groups. He banned labor unions and closed universities. The government brutally stopped a large strike against the devaluation (reduction in value) of the Bolivian currency in 1972. In 1974, prices for basic goods went up, and the government tried to control food prices. This led to farmers blocking roads in the Cochabamba Valley, and the military later killed many of them.

The ruling alliance quickly fell apart when the MNR and FSB split. They didn't provide strong support for Banzer. The armed forces were also divided, and different groups tried to overthrow the government. On June 5, 1974, younger officers tried a coup, demanding that Banzer make his rule legal. It failed, as did another attempt on November 7, which was supported by military, MNR, and FSB members in Santa Cruz.

The November 7, 1974, coup attempt is sometimes called a auto-golpe (self-coup). This is because it gave Banzer a reason to rule without civilian interference. He was influenced by the model of Brazil. He announced a complete reorganization of Bolivia's political system and the creation of a "new Bolivia" under military rule. Banzer hoped to keep the support of businesses, mine owners, farmers in Santa Cruz, and the growing number of loyal government workers.

However, the government soon faced serious problems. The "economic miracle" turned out to be not as great as it seemed. Oil production dropped sharply. The state mining company, Comibol, lost money, even with high mineral prices, because it was supporting other government agencies. Cotton production also went down when world prices fell.

The stability of Banzer's government was only on the surface. The military remained divided by personal rivalries, different ideas, and a gap between older and younger officers. Growing opposition from civilians came from the labor sector, even though the military again occupied the mines. Radical students and the more progressive part of the Roman Catholic Church spoke out for oppressed groups. Farmers also criticized the government.

Outside factors also weakened Banzer's government. In 1974, there were hopes for an agreement with Chile to give Bolivia access to the sea. But when an agreement between Banzer and General Augusto Pinochet Ugarte failed due to opposition from Chilean nationalists, Banzer's position became weaker. After Jimmy Carter became the United States president in 1976, the United States pressured Banzer to hold elections.

In 1977, with more opposition from civilian groups and the military, and increasing pressure from the United States, Banzer announced a presidential election for 1980. He hoped to stay in control. But labor unrest and hostility to his government forced him to move the election date to 1978.

General Juan Pereda Asbún, who Banzer had chosen as his successor, carried out a coup in July 1978. This happened after the National Electoral Court canceled the elections because of widespread cheating by Pereda's supporters. Even though Bolivia remained under military rule, the 1978 general election marked the start of Bolivia's difficult journey back to democracy over the next four years.

Bolivia's Path to Democracy

Between 1978 and 1980, Bolivia was in a constant state of crisis. Political groups were so divided that no single party could take control. In the three elections held during this time, no party won a majority. Alliances between different groups also couldn't solve the problems. Social unrest grew, and farmers started protesting on a large scale again, for the first time since the colonial period. Bolivian workers were more radical than ever. In 1979, during the first meeting of the Bolivian Labor Federation (COB) since 1970, they strongly protested against the strict economic measures ordered by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The military was also divided, and the increasing presence of paramilitary groups (armed groups not part of the official military) showed how much the military's structure was falling apart. A civilian investigation into human rights violations during Banzer's rule further lowered the morale of military officers.

After four months in office, General Juan Pereda didn't call for elections, even though he had promised to. In November 1978, General David Padilla Arancibia overthrew him in a peaceful coup. Padilla was supported by younger officers who believed the military's main job was to defend the country, not to get involved in politics. He announced elections for 1979 without naming an official government candidate. Changes to election rules made it easier to register to vote. As a result, 90% of eligible voters chose among eight presidential candidates in fair elections.

1979 Election and Short-Lived Governments

In July 1979, none of the main presidential candidates won a majority in the general election. The National Congress of Bolivia also couldn't agree on a president. So, they appointed Walter Guevara Arze, a former leader of the Revolutionary Nationalist Movement, as interim (temporary) president for one year. This was the first civilian government since Luís Adolfo Siles Salinas in 1969.

However, Guevara was overthrown after only a few months by a violent coup led by Colonel Alberto Natusch Busch in November 1979. Natusch himself stepped down after just two weeks. This was due to strong opposition from civilians, limited military support, and diplomatic pressure from the United States, which refused to recognize Natusch's government.

Gueiler's Presidency and Return to Democracy

Lidia Gueiler Tejada was appointed as the new interim president on November 16, 1979. Gueiler was the head of the Chamber of Deputies and an experienced politician. She became the first female leader of Bolivia. The following June, Gueiler oversaw the 1980 Bolivian general election, the third election in three years. Left-wing parties won a clear majority of the votes. Although no presidential candidate won more than half of the popular vote, former president Hernán Siles Zuazo and his Democratic and Popular Unity (UDP) group got 38% of the votes. This meant Siles was expected to win the presidency through a vote in Congress on August 6, 1980.

However, the congressional vote was interrupted on July 17, 1980, by a violent military coup led by General Luis García Meza. García Meza was a cousin of the deposed president Gueiler, who fled the country. This coup began the rule of the first military Junta (a group of military leaders ruling a country). This was one of the darkest times in Bolivian history. García Meza, however, failed to gain support within the military and was forced to resign on August 4, 1981.

The extreme cruelty, corruption, and international isolation of García Meza's government completely disheartened and disgraced the military. Many officers wanted to return to democracy. However, the second military Junta, led by General Celso Torrelio Villa, was unwilling to call for elections.

In July 1982, after another attempt by García Meza's group to regain power, a third military Junta appointed General Guido Vildoso Calderón as the acting president. They gave him the task of returning the country to democratic rule.

Instead of calling a new election, Vildoso decided to bring back the Congress that was elected in 1980. He agreed to respect the results of that year's presidential contest. When Congress met again on September 23, 1982, one of its first actions was to confirm the 1980 election results. These results showed former president Hernán Siles well ahead, though he didn't have a majority. In October, Congress overwhelmingly elected Siles, who became president on October 10, 1982. This marked Bolivia's return to democracy.