{ "id": "RL32580", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "number": "RL32580", "active": false, "source": "EveryCRSReport.com, University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "versions": [ { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 343492, "date": "2009-01-30", "retrieved": "2016-04-07T02:48:56.524362", "title": "Bolivia: Political and Economic Developments and Relations with the United States", "summary": "Bolivia has experienced a period of political volatility, with the country having had six presidents since 2001. Evo Morales, an indigenous leader and head of Bolivia\u2019s coca growers\u2019 union, and his party, the leftist Movement Toward Socialism (MAS), won a convincing victory in the December 18, 2005, presidential election with 54% of the votes. Early in his term, President Morales moved to decriminalize coca cultivation and nationalized the country\u2019s natural gas industry. His efforts to reform the Bolivian constitution have, until recently, been stymied by a strong opposition movement led by the leaders (prefects) of Bolivia\u2019s wealthy eastern provinces who are seeking greater regional autonomy.\nIn December 2007, the Constituent Assembly elected in mid-2006 passed a draft constitution without the presence of opposition delegates. In late August 2008, President Morales, buoyed by the strong support he received in a national recall referendum held on August 10, 2008, proposed to convoke a referendum on the draft constitution in December 2008. He later agreed to seek congressional approval for that referendum. Several opposition prefects were angered by Morales\u2019 proposal, and launched protests and blockades, which turned violent in mid-September. On October 20, 2008, after multiparty negotiations on the draft constitution\u2019s text, the Bolivian Congress approved legislation convoking a constitutional referendum on January 25, 2009. The new constitution was approved by a 61% to 39% vote following a peaceful election. Four eastern provinces, however, all voted against the constitution suggesting a strong possibility of continued opposition and discord. \nU.S.-Bolivian relations have been strained by the Morales government\u2019s drug policy and its increasing ties with Venezuela. Bilateral relations hit their lowest point in recent memory on September 10, 2008, when President Morales accused the U.S. Ambassador to Bolivia of supporting opposition forces and expelled him from the country. The U.S. government responded by expelling Bolivia\u2019s U.S. Ambassador. On September 16, 2008, President Bush designated Bolivia as a country that had failed to live up to its obligations under international narcotics agreements. That decision was closely followed by a Bush Administration proposal to suspend Bolivia\u2019s trade preferences under the Andean Trade Preferences Act (ATPA). On November 1, 2008, Bolivian President Morales announced an indefinite suspension of U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) operations in Bolivia after accusing some DEA agents of espionage.\nConcerns regarding Bolivia in the 110th Congress focused largely on counternarcotics and trade issues. Bolivia received an estimated $99.5 million in U.S. foreign aid in FY2008, including roughly $47 million in counternarcotics assistance, significantly lower than in previous years. An enacted continuing resolution H.R. 2638/P.L. 110-329 will provide funding for U.S. programs in Bolivia at FY2008 levels through March 6, 2009. In October 2008, Congress enacted legislation to extend ATPA trade preferences for Bolivia until June 30, 2009 (P.L. 110-436). However, on November 25, 2008, President Bush announced his decision to suspend Bolivia\u2019s ATPA trade preferences effective December 15, citing Bolivia\u2019s failure to cooperate with the United States on counternarcotics efforts. The 111th Congress is likely to continue to focus on trade and drug issues as these concerns remain central to U.S. relations with Bolivia.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/RL32580", "sha1": "12939d8db481a264cded7a88fcf1fc700cb79fff", "filename": "files/20090130_RL32580_12939d8db481a264cded7a88fcf1fc700cb79fff.html", "images": null }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/RL32580", "sha1": "ca22cd3270a1b8b497b814060321bb345fca7e10", "filename": "files/20090130_RL32580_ca22cd3270a1b8b497b814060321bb345fca7e10.pdf", "images": null } ], "topics": [] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc795532/", "id": "RL32580_2008Nov14", "date": "2008-11-14", "retrieved": "2016-01-13T14:26:20", "title": "Bolivia: Political and Economic Developments and Relations with the United States", "summary": "This report includes background information on Bolivia's political unrest, particularly regarding instability in shifting leaderships, economic situation, and relations with the United States.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20081114_RL32580_7059640453053afa300978d0e6653c79794928ec.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20081114_RL32580_7059640453053afa300978d0e6653c79794928ec.html" } ], "topics": [ { "source": "LIV", "id": "Foreign policy", "name": "Foreign policy" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Politics and government -- Bolivia", "name": "Politics and government -- Bolivia" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Economic development -- Bolivia", "name": "Economic development -- Bolivia" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Foreign relations -- Bolivia -- U.S.", "name": "Foreign relations -- Bolivia -- U.S." }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Foreign relations -- U.S. -- Bolivia", "name": "Foreign relations -- U.S. -- Bolivia" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Politics and government", "name": "Politics and government" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Economic policy", "name": "Economic policy" } ] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc463039/", "id": "RL32580_2008Jul14", "date": "2008-07-14", "retrieved": "2014-12-05T09:57:41", "title": "Bolivia: Political and Economic Developments and Relations with the United States", "summary": "This report includes background information on Bolivia's political unrest, particularly regarding instability in shifting leaderships, economic situation, and relations with the United States.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20080714_RL32580_00912bd2946dd19f8066b98ebbfd75736d1083c8.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20080714_RL32580_00912bd2946dd19f8066b98ebbfd75736d1083c8.html" } ], "topics": [ { "source": "LIV", "id": "Foreign policy", "name": "Foreign policy" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Politics and government -- Bolivia", "name": "Politics and government -- Bolivia" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Economic development -- Bolivia", "name": "Economic development -- Bolivia" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Foreign relations -- Bolivia -- U.S.", "name": "Foreign relations -- Bolivia -- U.S." }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Foreign relations -- U.S. -- Bolivia", "name": "Foreign relations -- U.S. -- Bolivia" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Politics and government", "name": "Politics and government" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Economic policy", "name": "Economic policy" } ] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc807148/", "id": "RL32580_2007Jan26", "date": "2007-01-26", "retrieved": "2016-03-19T13:57:26", "title": "Bolivia: Political and Economic Developments and Relations with the United States", "summary": null, "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20070126_RL32580_04e8ec0e3fd4e4cf79340f53c621c05703141b35.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20070126_RL32580_04e8ec0e3fd4e4cf79340f53c621c05703141b35.html" } ], "topics": [] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metacrs9883/", "id": "RL32580 2006-08-29", "date": "2006-08-29", "retrieved": "2007-06-12T15:43:05", "title": "Bolivia: Political and Economic Developments and Relations with the United States", "summary": "This report includes background information on Bolivia\u2019s political unrest, economic situation, and relations with the United States. In the past few years, Bolivia has experienced extreme political unrest resulting in the country having six presidents since 2001. Under policies of recently-elected leftist-leaning President Evo Morales, Bolivia's relations with neighboring countries, foreign investors, and the United States have been complicated. For some 20 years, U.S. interest in Bolivia has centered on its role as a coca producer and its relationship to Colombia and Peru, the two other major coca- and cocaine-producing countries in the Andes. U.S.-Bolivian relations have become tense in 2006 in the wake of the Morales government's questionable commitment to combating illegal drugs, increasing ties with Venezuela and Cuba, and the nationalization measure.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20060829_RL32580_68a2fffcc7d826a66fbceedc3c51fed3284bf74f.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20060829_RL32580_68a2fffcc7d826a66fbceedc3c51fed3284bf74f.html" } ], "topics": [ { "source": "LIV", "id": "Politics and government", "name": "Politics and government" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Foreign relations - Bolivia - U.S.", "name": "Foreign relations - Bolivia - U.S." }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Foreign relations - U.S. - Bolivia", "name": "Foreign relations - U.S. - Bolivia" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Foreign policy", "name": "Foreign policy" } ] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metacrs8465/", "id": "RL32580 2006-01-25", "date": "2006-01-25", "retrieved": "2006-03-20T09:48:12", "title": "Bolivia: Political and Economic Developments and Implications for U.S. Policy", "summary": "This report includes background information on Bolivia\u2019s political unrest, economic situation, and relations with the United States. In the past few years, Bolivia has experienced extreme political unrest resulting in the country having six presidents since 2001. Under policies of recently-elected leftist-leaning President Evo Morales, Bolivia's relations with neighboring countries, foreign investors, and the United States have been complicated. For some 20 years, U.S. interest in Bolivia has centered on its role as a coca producer and its relationship to Colombia and Peru, the two other major coca- and cocaine-producing countries in the Andes. U.S.-Bolivian relations have become tense in 2006 in the wake of the Morales government's questionable commitment to combating illegal drugs, increasing ties with Venezuela and Cuba, and the nationalization measure.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20060125_RL32580_15ed5e55282419bdb7c94491dece7b9a928f63db.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20060125_RL32580_15ed5e55282419bdb7c94491dece7b9a928f63db.html" } ], "topics": [ { "source": "LIV", "id": "Politics and government", "name": "Politics and government" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Foreign relations - Bolivia - U.S.", "name": "Foreign relations - Bolivia - U.S." }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Foreign relations - U.S. - Bolivia", "name": "Foreign relations - U.S. - Bolivia" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Politics and government - Bolivia", "name": "Politics and government - Bolivia" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Foreign policy", "name": "Foreign policy" } ] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metacrs10209/", "id": "RL32580_2005Jun22", "date": "2005-06-22", "retrieved": "2008-12-11T20:20:33", "title": "Bolivia: Political and Economic Developments and Implications for U.S. Policy", "summary": "Bolivia is one of the poorest countries in Latin America with an ethnically diverse population. It has a long history of political instability that persists to this day. It is also highly politically polarized over such issues as the future of oil and gas exploration and production, coca eradication programs, and calls for regional autonomy and constitutional reform from some parts of the country. U.S. interest in Bolivia centers on its role as a coca producer, and its relationship to Colombia and Peru, the two other major coca- and cocaine-producing countries. This report goes into greater detail concerning the Bolivia's current political conditions, as well as Bolivia's relationship with the United States.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20050622_RL32580_2497cd9036c4d169090d96a598cdd020b6230990.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20050622_RL32580_2497cd9036c4d169090d96a598cdd020b6230990.html" } ], "topics": [ { "source": "LIV", "id": "Politics and government", "name": "Politics and government" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Foreign policy", "name": "Foreign policy" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Foreign relations - U.S. - Bolivia", "name": "Foreign relations - U.S. - Bolivia" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Foreign relations - Bolivia - U.S.", "name": "Foreign relations - Bolivia - U.S." } ] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metacrs7169/", "id": "RL32580 2005-05-20", "date": "2005-05-20", "retrieved": "2005-09-20T10:31:02", "title": "Bolivia: Political and Economic Developments and Implications for U.S. Policy", "summary": "This report includes background information on Bolivia\u2019s political unrest, economic situation, and relations with the United States. In the past few years, Bolivia has experienced extreme political unrest resulting in the country having six presidents since 2001. Under policies of recently-elected leftist-leaning President Evo Morales, Bolivia's relations with neighboring countries, foreign investors, and the United States have been complicated. For some 20 years, U.S. interest in Bolivia has centered on its role as a coca producer and its relationship to Colombia and Peru, the two other major coca- and cocaine-producing countries in the Andes. 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