The forum “Bolivia: from the Coup d’état 2003 to 2024” took place this October 17 in the city of Miami, at the headquarters of the Inter-American Institute for Democracy (IID), with live broadcast through the Internet platforms of Infobae.
The event, which took place on the same day that marks 21 years since democracy was lost in the Bolivian nation and within the framework of the celebration of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty in the world, featured the participation of more than a dozen experts who discussed the current state of Bolivian democracy, the historical implications of the 2003 coup d’état, the effects of the mandate of Evo Morales and other left-wing presidents who have governed the nation, the influence of the MAS (Movement towards Socialism) and the disastrous consequences that until 2024 have stained the politics of the Plurinational State of Bolivia.
Among the topics discussed, corruption, drug trafficking, the imprisonment of more than 320 political prisoners, the high number of asylum seekers in other countries stand out, which according to data from the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) totals 12,466, so far.
In addition, emphasis was placed on the deterioration of democratic institutions and the attacks on press freedom suffered in the country.
The forum included analysis of the role of the armed forces, the economy, education, human trafficking, the human rights crisis, the Central Bank depression, health, the environment, gas and energy and justice in the country.
The presentations were given by Emilio Martínez, Hugo Balderrama, Eva Sara Landau, Ismael Schabid, Guido Añez, Marcela Martinez, Dante Pino, Guillermo Aponte, Hugo Carvajal, Antonio Sánchez, Marianela Curi and Jaime Dunn.
During the appearance, the speakers advocated for serious changes in the current political system in view of the 2025 presidential elections and emphasized the need to guarantee a free and transparent electoral process that allows for the restoration of the rule of law, supervised by the international community.
Tomas Regalado, a prominent journalist and former mayor of Miami, was in charge of introducing the meeting and highlighted the influence of Cuba and Venezuela on the dictatorial system that currently prevails in Bolivia.
Carlos Sánchez Berzaín, director of the IID, was in charge of the conclusions, pointing out that the 2003 coup d’état not only affected the government of Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada but also marked a breaking point in the country’s democratic history, the repercussions of which are felt until today.
Berzain urged Bolivians to take responsibility in the upcoming elections in order to help the country recover the rule of law at this difficult time.
“There is no democracy, there is no rule of rights, there is no sovereignty, they have handed it over to Venezuela, Cuba, China and Iran. There is no gas, there are no dollars, there is no security, there are no national parks, they have burned them. There are no free or fair elections, the Bolivia of 2003 no longer exists. It is a penetrated country. Bolivians inside and outside have the urgency to recover democracy, the Republic and defend the nation,” he concluded.
