This article is part of a series on the politics and government of Bolivia |
---|
Presidency |
General elections were held in Bolivia on 29 June 1980, the third in three years. [1] As no candidate in the presidential elections received a majority of the vote, the National Congress was required to elect a President on 6 August. With Hernán Siles Zuazo of the Democratic and Popular Union the favourite to win the Congressional ballot, the process was disrupted on 17 July by the military coup led by General Luis García Meza Tejada. However, Meza was pressured to resign on 4 August 1981, resulting in General Celso Torrelio becoming President. In July 1982 he was replaced by General Guido Vildoso, who was named by the high command to return the country to democratic rule. On 17 September 1982, during a general strike that brought the country close to civil war, the military decided to step down, to reconvene the National Congress elected in 1980, and to accept its choice of President. Accordingly, the National Congress revalidated the 1980 election results on 23 September and overwhelmingly elected Hernán Siles Zuazo as President on 5 October. He subsequently assumed the presidency on 10 October 1982. [2]
Bolivia, officially the Plurinational State of Bolivia is a landlocked country located in western-central South America. The capital is Sucre while the seat of government and financial center is located in La Paz. The largest city and principal industrial center is Santa Cruz de la Sierra, located on the Llanos Orientales a mostly flat region in the east of Bolivia.
The Plurinational Legislative Assembly is the national legislature of Bolivia, placed in La Paz, the country's seat of government.
Hernán Siles Zuazo was a Bolivian politician who served as constitutionally elected president twice, from 1956 to 1960 and again from 1982 to 1985. He also briefly served as the temporary president in April 1952, and as vice president between 1952 and 1956.
General elections had previously been held in July 1978, the first since 1966, with several military coups taking place during the late 1960s and early 1970s. [1] Although Juan Pereda of the Nationalist Union of the People won the presidential elections, more votes were cast than there were registered voters. [3] After examining a number of allegations of fraud and other irregularities, the Electoral Court decided to annul the results on 20 July. [4] The following day, Pereda was installed as President following a military coup. Pereda himself was overthrown by yet another military coup in November, which saw General David Padilla assume the presidency, [5] promising to hold fresh elections in July the following year. [6]
Juan Pereda Asbún was a former military general and dictator of Bolivia (1978). Although he ruled for only four months, his ascent to the presidency marked the beginning of the most unstable period in Bolivian history, with nine presidents in a little over 4 years (1978–1982), in comparison to only one in the previous seven.
The 1979 general elections saw no candidate for President receive over 50% of the vote, and when Congress was required to elect a President, it failed to do so after three ballots. Instead, Senate leader Wálter Guevara was elected to serve as Interim President for a year on 8 August. [7] However, Guevara was later overthrown by another military coup led by Alberto Natusch on 31 October.
Wálter Guevara Arze was a Bolivian statesman, cabinet minister, writer, diplomat, and president (1979).
Alberto Natusch Busch was a Bolivian general and dictator of his country for a brief time in November 1979.
Several alliances were formed for the elections: [8]
Party | Presidential candidate | Votes | % | Seats | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Chamber | +/– | Senate | +/– | ||||
Democratic and Popular Union | Hernán Siles Zuazo | 507,173 | 38.7 | 47 | +9 | 10 | +2 |
Revolutionary Nationalist Movement-Alliance | Víctor Paz Estenssoro | 263,706 | 20.2 | 34 | –14 | 10 | –6 |
Nationalist Democratic Action | Hugo Banzer | 220,309 | 16.8 | 24 | +5 | 6 | +3 |
Socialist Party-1 | Marcelo Quiroga Santa Cruz | 113,959 | 8.7 | 10 | +5 | 1 | +1 |
Democratic Revolutionary Front-New Alternative | Luis Adolfo Siles Salinas | 39,401 | 3.0 | 5 | New | 0 | New |
Authentic Revolutionary Party | Wálter Guevara | 36,443 | 2.8 | 3 | New | 0 | New |
MNRU–MIN | Guillermo Bedregal | 24,542 | 1.9 | 2 | New | 0 | New |
Bolivian Socialist Falange | Carlos Valverde | 21,372 | 1.6 | 3 | New | 0 | New |
Alliance of Nationalist Left Forces of the MNR | Roberto Jordan Pando | 17,150 | 1.3 | 0 | New | 0 | New |
Indian Movement Túpac Katari-One | Constantino Lima | 17,023 | 1.3 | 1 | New | 0 | New |
Bolivian Union Party | Walter Gonzales Valda | 16,380 | 1.3 | 0 | –1 | 0 | 0 |
Indian Movement Túpac Katari | Luciano Tapia Quisbert | 15,852 | 1.2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Revolutionary Party of the Nationalist Left | Juan Lechín Oquendo | 15,724 | 1.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Invalid/blank votes | 180,450 | – | – | – | – | – | |
Total | 1,489,484 | 100 | 130 | +13 | 27 | 0 | |
Registered voters/turnout | 2,004,284 | 74.3 | – | – | – | – | |
Source: Nohlen |
Candidate | Party | Votes | % |
---|---|---|---|
Hernán Siles Zuazo | Democratic and Popular Union | 113 | 79.6 |
Hugo Banzer | Nationalist Democratic Action | 29 | 20.4 |
Invalid/blank votes | 4 | – | |
Total | 146 | 100 | |
Registered voters/turnout | 157 | 93.0 | |
Source: Ontiveros [9] |
Hugo Banzer Suárez was a Bolivian politician, military general and President of Bolivia. He held the Bolivian presidency twice: from 1971 to 1978, as a dictator; and then again from 1997 to 2001, as constitutional President.
The Revolutionary Nationalist Movement is a Bolivian political party and the leading force behind the Bolivian National Revolution. It influenced much of the country's history since 1941.
Ángel Víctor Paz Estenssoro was a Bolivian politician who served as President of Bolivia from 1952 to 1956, 1960 to 1964 and 1985 to 1989. He ran for president eight times and was victorious in 1951, 1960, 1964 and 1985. His 1951 victory was annulled by a military junta led by Hugo Ballivián, and his 1964 victory was interrupted by the 1964 Bolivian coup d'état.
Jaime Paz Zamora was President of Bolivia from August 6, 1989 to August 6, 1993. He also served as Vice-President between 1982 and 1984.
The Revolutionary Left Movement - New Majority is a social democratic political party in Bolivia. It was a member of the Socialist International.
Juan Lechín Oquendo was a labor-union leader and head of the Federation of Bolivian Mine Workers (FSTMB) from 1944 to 1987 and the Bolivian Workers' Union (COB) from 1952 to 1987. He also served as Vice President of Bolivia between 1960 and 1964.
The Revolutionary Party of the Nationalist Left was a left-wing political party in Bolivia. It was founded in 1963 by the labor leader Juan Lechín Oquendo and by Mario Torres Calleja and Edwin Moller in lesser roles. The PRIN seceded from the Revolutionary Nationalist Movement (MNR) in protest against Víctor Paz Estenssoro's decision to seek a third elected term as president in 1964, rather than permit then Vice-President Juan Lechín to have the MNR's presidential nomination.
Luis Adolfo Siles Salinas was the Constitutional President of Bolivia for a period of five months between April and September 1969.
David Padilla Arancibia was a military general and de facto president of Bolivia. He ruled his country from November 1978 to August 1979.
General Guido Vildoso Calderón is a former officer in the Military of Bolivia and de facto President of Bolivia in 1982.
The Democratic and Popular Union (1977–84) was a Bolivian umbrella political alliance uniting various smaller left-wing parties. It was formed in 1977 by former president Hernán Siles Zuazo and consisted chiefly of Siles' Movimiento Nationalista Revolutionario de Izquierda, a spin-off of the Moviminento Nacionalista Revolucionario, and Jaime Paz Zamora's Movimiento de Izquierda Revolucionaria. The coalition became extremely popular with Bolivian voters in the late 1970s, due to fatigue with the military dictatorships that for the most controlled the country since 1964.
The history of Bolivia from 1964 to 1982 is a time of periodic instability under various military dictators. On November 4, 1964 power passed from the elected leader of the Bolivian National Revolution, Víctor Paz Estenssoro to a military junta under vice-president General René Barrientos. Barrientos was elected president in 1966, but died accidentally in a helicopter crash in 1969, leading to a coup in September 1969 by General Ovando, who was overthrown in October 1970 by General Rogelio Miranda who was overthrown a couple of days later by General J.J.Torres, who in turn was overthrown on August 1971 by Hugo Banzer Suárez. Banzer ruled for seven years, initially from 1971 to 1974 with the support of Estenssoro's Nationalist Revolutionary Movement. In 1974, impatient with schisms in the party, he replaced civilians with members of the armed forces and suspended political activities. The economy grew impressively during Banzer's presidency, but demands for greater political freedom undercut his support. He called elections in 1978 and Bolivia once again plunged into turmoil. Juan Pereda ruled for only four months in 1978, but his ascent to the presidency marked the beginning of an even more unstable period in Bolivian history, with nine civilian and military presidents in little over four years (1978–1982). 1982 marked the return to a democratically elected government, with Guido Vildoso as president.
General elections were held in Bolivia on 9 July 1978. The elections were the first held since 1966, with several military coups taking place during the late 1960s and early 1970s. Although Juan Pereda of the Nationalist Union of the People won the presidential elections, more votes were cast than there were registered voters. After examining a number of allegations of fraud and other irregularities, the Electoral Court decided to annul the results on 20 July. The following day, Pereda was installed as President following a military coup. Pereda himself was overthrown by yet another military coup in November, which saw General David Padilla assume the presidency. Fresh elections were held the following year, with Padilla transferring power to his democratically elected successor, Wálter Guevara.
General elections were held in Bolivia on 1 July 1979. As no candidate in the presidential elections received a majority of the vote, the National Congress was required to elect a President. However, the Congress failed to elect a candidate after three ballots, and instead selected Senate leader Wálter Guevara to serve as Interim President for a year on 8 August. Guevara was later overthrown by a military coup led by Alberto Natusch on 31 October. Fresh elections were held in June 1980.
The Authentic Revolutionary Party was a political party in Bolivia.
The Leftwing Revolutionary Nationalist Movement was a centre-left political party in Bolivia.
The Socialist Party was a left-wing (socialist) political party in Bolivia.
The Offensive of the Democratic Left was a small reform-oriented centrist political party in Bolivia.
The National Commission of Inquiry Into Disappearances was a truth commission in Bolivia that lasted from 1982 to 1984. It was the first truth and reconciliation commission in Latin America. After a period of political instability in the country and a series of military coups and corrupt governments and dictatorships, the newly appointed president Hernán Siles Zuazo hoped to restore the country to democracy when he came to power in October 1982. Siles Zuazo established the National Commission of Inquiry Into Disappearances to look into suspicious disappearances that occurred between 1967 and 1982, and hired 8 commissioners to research and investigate. The commission was forced to disband after less than 2 years of work due to lack of financial and political support from the government, as well as the commission's limited mandate, which only allowed investigations into death or disappearance and not into other crimes against humanity. Although the commission disbanded, 56 officials from past governments were put on trial in the "Trials of Responsibility", including dictator Luis García Meza Tejada. The Trials of Responsibility lasted from 1984 to 1993, during which 48 people were convicted.