Bolivia and Bolivian News

Country Profile
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia is a landlocked country in Central South America. Bolivia is divided into 9 departments, further subdivided into 112 provinces and these ones into 339 municipalities.
Capital                        Sucre (Constitutional Capital;La Paz (Administrative Capital)
Currency                    Boliviano
Population                  11 Million ( 2010 Estimate )
Ethnic Groups            55 % Amerindian,30% Mestiizo and 15%White
Official Language       Spanish

History
The struggle for independence started in the city of Sucre  in 1809, with the Chuquisaca Revolution  (Chuquisaca was then the name of the city). That revolution, which created a local government Junta, was followed by the La Paz Revolution, during which Bolivia actually declared independence. Both revolutions were short-lived, and defeated by the Spanish authorities.

Bolivia was finally freed of Royalist dominion by Antonia Jose de Sucre, with a military campaign coming from the North in support of the campaign of Simon Bolivar. After 16 years of war the Republic was proclaimed on Aug 6, 1825 and named Bolivia in honor of Bolívar.

In 1836, Bolivia, under the rule of Marshal Andres de Santa Cruz, invaded Peru to reinstall the deposed president,General Luis Jose de Orbegoso. Peru and Bolivia formed the Peru - Bolivian Confideration with de Santa Cruz as the Supreme Protector. Following tension between the Confederation and Chile, Chile declared war on Dec 28, 1836. Argentina, Chile's ally, declared war on the Confederation on May 9,1837. The Peruvian-Bolivian forces achieved several major victories during the  War of the Confideration.

Chile organized a second attack on the Confederation and defeated it in the Battle of Yungay. After this defeat, Santa Cruz resigned and went to exile in Ecuador and then Paris, and the Peruvian-Bolivian Confederation was dissolved.

Following the independence of Peru, Peruvian president General Augustin Gamarra invaded Bolivia. The Peruvian army was decisively defeated at the Battle of Ingavi on Nov 20,1841 where Gamarra was killed. The Bolivian army under General Jose Ballivian then mounted a counter-offensive, capturing the Peruvian port of Arica. Later, both sides signed a Peace Treaty in 1842, putting a final end to the war.

The Revolutionary Nationalist Movement, a Bolovian Political Party  led a far-reaching revolution in 1952 and ruled the country, in its first incarnation, until being overthrown by a 1964 military coup. Hernán Siles Zuazo (president from 1956 to 1960) and Ángel Víctor Paz Estenssoro (president from 1952-56 and 1960-64)

Hernán Siles Zuazo served as Bolivia's constitutionally elected president twice, from 1956 to 1960 and again from 1982 to 1985.

Ángel Víctor Paz Estenssoro  ran for President of Bolivia 8 times (1947, 1951, 1960, 1964, 1978, 1979, 1980, and 1985), winning in 1951, 1960, 1964, and 1985.He was finally elected president (for the 4th time) in 1985, and served as Bolivia's President from Aug 6,1985 to Aug 6, 1989, when he retired from politics.

Hugo Banzer Suárez,a politician and  military general held the Bolivian Presidency twice: from August 22, 1971 to July 21, 1978, as a Dictator; and then again from August 6, 1997 to August 7, 2001, as constitutional President

Government 
Bolivia is a Presidential Representative Democratic Republic with President as Head of State,Head of Govt and Head of Pluriform Multiparty System .Bolivia elects on national level a Head of State - President and a Legislature.The President and the Vice-President are elected for a 5 year term by the people (first round) or parliament (second round)
Elections have been held regularly in the democratic period that began in 1982. General elections were held in 1985, 1989, 1993, 1997, 2002, 2005, and 2009.A Constituent Assembly was elected in 2006.

President of Bolivia
The President is elected to a 5 year term by  popular vote, and governs from the Presidential Palace (popularly called the Burnt Palace, Palacio Quemado) in La Paz

The current President of Bolivia is Evo Morales,the first indigenous Bolivian to serve as head of state.
Evo Morales' Movement for Socialism - Political Instrument for the Sovereignty of the People's Party  was the first to win an outright presidential majority in 4 decades, doing so both in 2005 and 2009.

Morales was first elected President of Bolivia on Dec 18, 2005, with 53.7% of the popular vote. Two and a half years later he substantially increased this majority; in a recall referendum on August 14, 2008, more than two thirds of voters voted to keep him in office.Morales won presidential elections again in December 2009 with 63% and continued to his second term of presidency

Parliament of Bolivia

The Plurinational Legislative Assembly or National Congress has 2 Chambers -
The Chamber of Deputies has 130 members elected to 5 year terms, 70 from single-member districts, 60 by proportional representation, and 7 by the minority indigenous peoples of seven departments.
The Chamber of Senators has 36 members (four per department). Members of the Assembly are elected to 5 year terms.
 The body has its headquarters on the Plaza Murillo in La Paz, but also holds honorary sessions elsewhere in Bolivia. The Vice President serves as titular head of the combined Assembly.

2009 Bolivian General Election - Dec 6,2009

The Bolivian general election, 2009 was held on Dec 6, 2009,following a Constitutional Referendum  held on Jan 25, 2009.Under the new constitution all previous terms will not be considered for term limits and if any candidate fails to win over 50% of the vote and another candidate is within 10%, a second round will be held. It will be the first time that an incumbent President will run for reelection

Evo Morales won a convincing victory, with 64.22% of the vote (defeating Manfred Reyes Villa who got 26.46% votes) His party, Movement for Socialism also won a two-thirds majority in both the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate

Bolivia imposes curfew for first census in 11 years - Nov 21,2012

A curfew has been imposed in Bolivia ahead of the first census in the South American country in 11 years.

All Bolivians were told to go back home and wait to be counted and to answer to nearly 50 questions from canvassers.
Private road traffic has been banned, which led to a big rush during the day, and the borders will remain closed until canvassers finish their job.
Those who fail to be at home for the Wednesday Nov 21,2012 census will face a fine.
President Evo Morales has asked all Bolivians to collaborate with more than 200,000 canvassers who will be collecting data throughout the day.