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 Country Background
One of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere, Bolivia has also had a turbulent history, experiencing numerous changes in government. After a military coup led by General Garcia Meza in 1980, democracy was restored in 1984. While political turbulence had taken a toll on the economy, in 1985 a stabilization and adjustment program was begun. The economy began to improve and has grown at an average of more than 3.5 percent a year since.
| FACTS AT A GLANCE |
| Population |
7.6 million |
| Urban Population |
61 % |
| Population Growth |
2 % |
| Life Expectancy |
61 years |
| Infant Mortality |
71 per 1,000 live births |
| Maternal Mortality |
650 per 100,000 live births |
| Adult Literacy |
83 % |
| Drinking Water Access |
63 % |
| GNP per capita |
$800 |
Reform efforts were deepened following the 1993 election of Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada of the MNR (National Revolutionary Movement), whose administration tackled economic and social reforms with profound implications for the economy and civil society. These included a privatization and capitalization campaign, new banking and central bank laws to strengthen the financial sector and improvements to the legal system. In the social arena, the government undertook far-reaching education reforms and passed the Popular Participation and Decentralization laws, which empower indigenous peoples and decentralize government decision-making. Important strides were made in the environmental arena with the passage of conservation legislation to protect some of Bolivia's more environmentally diverse areas.
Presidential and congressional elections were held on June 1, 1997, and the rival ADN (National Democratic Action) won the election. While some of the programs begun by the Sánchez de Lozada administration have been controversial and even wrenching for the country, the new President, Hugo Bánzer, has pledged to follow through with them.
Despite both economic and social progress, Bolivia continues to face daunting challenges, including a need to expand its export base; weak social and physical infrastructure and a limited human resource base.
An Interview with former CARE Bolivia Country Director, Kirsten Johnson
What do you see as the greatest challenges to Bolivian development?
"Bolivia is a very large country with tremendous resources, but it's essentially an under-populated and under-skilled country. The vast majority of the population doesn't yet have the skills needed to develop the country on a sustained basis. Right now, development is very skewed. It's oriented toward the interests and perspectives of a small, educated elite.
As a result, I think one of the country's greatest challenges is to develop human resources to a point where balanced and sustained development can take place.
There have been a lot of positive steps in this direction, including the Education Reform begun under President Sánchez de Lozada. Unfortunately that reform process is floundering somewhat now but it's imperative that it be revived. To compete, the country must put much more emphasis on educating its people.
On a separate topic, I think the cocaine trade does introduce some very worrisome elements of corruption into Bolivian society.
What has the impact of the new government been on development and reform efforts?
"It's unclear whether the current Government will carry through on some of the excellent reform initiatives begun by the previous government.
What do you see as the greatest hope for the country?
"Despite the fact that the poor in Bolivia are going through significant changes, they have good cultural identity and a clear sense of what their priorities are. There's also a tradition of extremely strong community organization along with a tremendous resiliency of spirit in the Bolivian consciousness.
When CARE works in a community, people are receptive and they invest tremendous effort - both in terms of their own labor and resources - into making sure that projects happen and their lives are improved.
 In our women's credit unions for example, the women organize and manage the credit unions very effectively, even though they're illiterate in most cases.
On another level, I think the reforms initiated by the last government also offer a lot of hope. They indicate that there are people at the decision-making level who are forward-looking; who are committed to bringing Bolivia into the 21st century.
All of these things, I think, paint a much more positive outlook for Bolivia's future than many of the other countries in Latin America.
What would you say is CARE's single greatest legacy in Bolivia after 21 years?
"In its 21 years in Bolivia, CARE has come to be known as an organization that is effective and that has integrity. We are recognized as having a positive impact on the lives of many rural poor.
We've reached the greatest number of beneficiaries through our reproductive health projects and we've also been extremely active in the Agriculture and Natural Resources sector.
What are the most important programs currently being implemented?
"All of our programs are important to our beneficiaries, but from an organizational standpoint, some of our new initiatives show a lot of promise.
Our integrated conservation and development projects, for example, are moving CARE into new program areas in Bolivia. We're also implementing a first-time pilot in urban water and sanitation in response to a desperate need for those services in the fast-growing city of El Alto. CARE Bolivia is also implementing cutting edge programming in reproductive health, particularly with regard to HIV and STDs, where we're working with groups whose behaviors put them at risk, including prostitutes, homosexuals and police. We're also hoping to begin working with the armed forces in the prevention of HIV and STDs. In addition, we have new projects in girls' education and integrated pest management. I think the CARE Bolivia portfolio is exciting in its dynamism and responsiveness to the needs of the country.
Media are invited to visit CARE projects.
Contact: In Atlanta, Allen Clinton 404-681-2552, ext. 206
In Bolivia, Jan Schollaert
(591-2) 78-68-55/78-3534
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