Bolivia: The Military and the New Constitution

Bolivian President Carlos Mesa on Dec. 6 ordered his country's armed forces to offer reform proposals for a Constitutional Assembly, scheduled to convene in 2005. Mesa apparently wants the military to mediate between opposing groups of highland and lowland Bolivians by making the country's military chieftains active participants in a democratic political process. However, Mesa's action also opens a door for the military — which has a history of nationalism and corruption — to demand an expanded role in politics and government without attempting any coups against democratically elected administrations.