The Bolivian Armageddon

By: Beatrice E. Rangel - 11/02/2026

According to the Bible, Armageddon is the final battle between good and evil, so that truth may triumph and peace may prevail. Today, Armageddon is the battle to preserve, protect, or establish democracy in a world where 5 billion people, or 72% of the population, lack democratic regimes or essential freedoms. And this battle can only be won by building the virtuous environment recommended by the Greek philosophers.

Latin America is the stage for this struggle: in Venezuela, in Cuba, in Nicaragua, and in Bolivia. So far, the nation that seems to be making the most progress toward a post-Armageddon order appears to be Bolivia, precisely because, like Chile in the 1990s, it is smoothing out the extremes to build a middle ground.

Because, as the Greek philosophers recommended, democracy is the result of the interplay of diverse visions, ideas, and aspirations of a society, all within a framework of governance and economic management rules. And it seems the young Bolivian president has taken that path. Understanding that two-thirds of Bolivians simply want to live in peace and see the economy take off again, he hasn't wasted time tilting at windmills. He quickly established ties with Washington, and thanks to this, he obtained a reprieve in the fuel supply, which was essential to solidifying Bolivian support for his government. He initiated the fight against corruption by ordering an investigation into his predecessor, Luis Arce. It would now be advisable to investigate the businesspeople who assisted Arce in carrying out business deals prohibited by Bolivian law, in order to maintain the impartiality of the anti-corruption policy. In economic matters, the measures taken relieve the Bolivian economy of excessive regulations while facilitating the functioning of markets. In social matters, the countless ineffective programs created by the MAS party's policy of sowing poverty were reviewed. These programs were detrimental to the quality of education and health services. The goal is to improve the efficiency of public spending and its coverage. Finally, to conclude the list of President Paz's successes, he did not succumb to the Latin American temptation of convening a constituent assembly to replace the MAS-established constitution, which is an ode to obscurantism. Other Latin American leaders have fallen into this costly error, ultimately wasting political energy and time. This is essential for fostering prosperity through measures such as floating the currency, lowering tariffs, and abolishing state monopolies. Furthermore, constitutions in Latin America are devalued. The region reigns supreme in the production of constitutions that no one obeys because their regulatory nature makes them indigestible to the general public. Thus, no one defends them because no one understands them. In fact, Latin American nations hold the dubious record of being the region with the most constitutions in the world. The Dominican Republic leads the way with 40 constitutions throughout its history. It is followed by Venezuela with 25, Ecuador with 20, and Bolivia with 17. Except for the Dominican Republic, which seems to have found the secret to political stability and economic success in its latest constitution, the other nations mentioned have experienced political and economic decline under the constitutional system.

President Paz has only been in office for 90 days and faces many obstacles. The next and most challenging is growing the economy. But if he maintains his policies of deregulation, support for the rule of law, and fight against corruption, he can gradually overcome the obstacles posed by the size of the market and the lack of strong ties to the global economy. In short, if he maintains his centrist course, he could achieve what Adolfo Suárez and Patricio Aylwin achieved in Spain and Chile: laying the foundations of a liberal democracy.

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