The History of Bolivia

By Christopher Minster

The area of present-day Bolivia was populated long before the arrival of the Spanish to the area in the 1530’s. Parts of the region were inhabited for centuries before the arrival of the Inca, whose Empire stretched from northern Chile in the south to Ecuador in the north and Bolivia to the east. The highlands were an important part of the Inca Empire, who considered Lake Titicaca sacred.

After the conquest, in 1544, the Spanish discovered a rich vein of silver in one of Bolivia’s mountains: a small settlement, Potosí, was founded nearby. Potosí would eventually become one of the most important mines in the history of the world: the settlement boomed and tons of silver were removed from the mountain, mostly by Indian laborers who toiled under unspeakable conditions. Many died while working in the mines, and many more perished as a result of mercury poisoning. The mountain itself came to be known as “Cerro Rico,” or “Rich Hill.” The famous Spanish “pieces of eight,” or silver 8-real coins, were minted from Potosí silver, giving pirates and parrots everywhere something to talk about.

La Paz was founded in 1548, and the area was considered part of the Viceroyalty of Peru until 1776, when it was transferred to the Viceroyalty of La Plata.

Although Bolivia was one of the first nations in South America to declare independence from Spain in 1809, the struggle lasted a long time, and it was 1825 before independence was a fact and Bolivia had any sort of government in place. Bolivia is (of course) named for Simón Bolívar, the leader of the South American independence movement.

Bolivia’s early years were marked by violence and strife with its neighbours. In 1836, Peru and Bolivia combined to prevail in a war against Chile and Argentina. In 1841, Peru invaded Bolivia but was driven back; Bolivian forces pressed the attack and captured the Peruvian port of Arica. In 1879, the war of the Pacific broke out, which would not end until 1883. In the war, Bolivia lost its access to the Pacific to Chile, and it has remained landlocked ever since. In addition, Bolivia lost one of its provinces, Acre, when Brazil persuaded the locals to secede and join Brazil in 1903.

Not all of Bolivia’s troubles have been international. In 1920, ethnic natives rebelled and in 1933 an uprising by tin miners had to be violently put down. Bolivia has seen numerous coups, including recent ones in 1952, 1964, 1969, 1971 and 1980. In recent decades, coca production in Bolivia has increased, resulting in powerful drug cartels entering into politics. In 2001, Bolivian farmers rejected a governmental offer of $900 per year to destroy existing coca crops and not grow any in the future.

Today, Bolivia is a constitutional democracy, albeit a fragile one. The current president, Evo Morales, is the country’s first president of indigenous blood and an avid reformer who has nationalized several key industries, which has resulted in increased control and revenue, but has frightened off foreign investment.

Bolivia’s history is full of fascinating footnotes. It was in Bolivia, in 1908, where American fugitives Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid were killed in the southern town of San Vicente…allegedly. Some say Butch and/or Sundance escaped. It was also in Bolivia, in 1967, where Ernesto “Ché” Guevara met his end, executed by Bolivian forces working in concert with the CIA. Guevara had been in Bolivia trying to stir up a Cuban-style revolution.