Paths of Development in Bolivia: Contradictions of the Proceso De Cambio
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Paths of Development in Bolivia: Contradictions of the Proceso de Cambio by Kirsten Francescone A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Political Economy' Carleton University Ottawa, Ontario ©2012, Kirsten Francescone Library and Archives Bibliotheque et Canada Archives Canada Published Heritage Direction du 1+1 Branch Patrimoine de I'edition 395 Wellington Street 395, rue Wellington Ottawa ON K1A0N4 Ottawa ON K1A 0N4 Canada Canada Your file Votre reference ISBN: 978-0-494-93627-6 Our file Notre reference ISBN: 978-0-494-93627-6 NOTICE: AVIS: The author has granted a non L'auteur a accorde une licence non exclusive exclusive license allowing Library and permettant a la Bibliotheque et Archives Archives Canada to reproduce, Canada de reproduire, publier, archiver, publish, archive, preserve, conserve, sauvegarder, conserver, transmettre au public communicate to the public by par telecommunication ou par I'lnternet, preter, telecommunication or on the Internet, distribuer et vendre des theses partout dans le loan, distrbute and sell theses monde, a des fins commerciales ou autres, sur worldwide, for commercial or non support microforme, papier, electronique et/ou commercial purposes, in microform, autres formats. paper, electronic and/or any other formats. The author retains copyright L'auteur conserve la propriete du droit d'auteur ownership and moral rights in this et des droits moraux qui protege cette these. Ni thesis. Neither the thesis nor la these ni des extraits substantiels de celle-ci substantial extracts from it may be ne doivent etre imprimes ou autrement printed or otherwise reproduced reproduits sans son autorisation. without the author's permission. In compliance with the Canadian Conformement a la loi canadienne sur la Privacy Act some supporting forms protection de la vie privee, quelques may have been removed from this formulaires secondaires ont ete enleves de thesis. cette these. While these forms may be included Bien que ces formulaires aient inclus dans in the document page count, their la pagination, il n'y aura aucun contenu removal does not represent any loss manquant. of content from the thesis. Canada Abstract This study seeks to explore and challenge Bolivia’s Movimiento al Socialismo’s (MAS) proceso de cambio by accessing the possibilities and limitations in their strategy for agricultural development. As a product of seven months of engaged fieldwork methods, I examine the MAS’ most recent agricultural policy (Ley de la Revolucion Productiva Comunitaria Agropecuaria (LRPCA)) and follow two interconnected political mobilizations, the mobilizations against the LRPCA and the infamous “TIPNIS” highway-project. I argue that the MAS’ agricultural strategy reflects the larger political economic tendencies of the government across industries. The LPRCA serves to benefit and promote the expansion of the agro-industry further solidifying its position as a primary-resource producing nation. This failure to radically re-organize production has contributed to the increasing conflict and tension within and between Bolivia’s popular sectors. 1 conclude by examining the limitations and possibilities for cross-sectorial political alliances that are looking to reclaim their vision of theproceso de cambio and alter the political-economic landscape of Bolivia. Resumen Esta investigacion trata entender y cuestionar el llamado “proceso de cambio” conducido por el gobiemo del Movimiento al Socialismo en Bolivia, evaluando las posibilidades asi como limitaciones de su estrategia para el desarrollo agricola. Como producto de siete meses de trabajo de campo, examino la actual legislacion agricola (Ley de la Revolucion Productiva Comunitaria Agropecuaria (LRPCA)) y hago seguimiento a dos movilizaciones interconectadas: la movilizacion contra los transgenicos y el famoso conflicto del T1PN1S. Arguyo que la estrategia agricola del MAS refleja las tendencias estructurales del actual gobiemo para la industria. La (LRPCA) sirve para beneficiar y promover la expansion de la agro-industria y resulta solidificando la posicion neo-colonial que mantenga a Bolivia como nacion productora de materias primas. La decision politica por el MAS de no re-organizar radicalmente la produccion agricola ha contribuido al crecimiento de los conflictos y tensiones dentro de los sectores populares. En la conclusion examino las limitaciones y posibilidades para las alianzas entre sectores que, en alguna medida, estan re-posicionandose (rente a llamado “proceso de cambio”. Acknowledgements I would like to acknowledge the guidance and support ] have received from my supervisor for this project, Justin Paulson, whose intellectual and emotional support cannot be understated and will continue to shape my understanding of the world. I would also like to thank the following people: Susan Spronk, Cristina Rojas and Peter Gose for their insightful and much appreciated comments and criticisms of this work. I would also like to extend particular recognition to Donna Coghill, the administrator of the department of Political Economy at Carleton University for her comments, criticisms, encouragement, and labour that made the completion of this thesis possible. The Centro de Documentacion e Informacion de Bolivia (CEDIB) was an invaluable wealth of resources, documents and literature over the course of my fieldwork and became my home base for debate and discussion regarding this project. I learned a lot from their investigators and resource aids and their library has an incredible collection of works that cannot be found elsewhere. In particular Georgina Jimenez, Pablo Villegas, Vladimir Diaz, Rosemary Amils, and Jorge Campanini were extremely beneficial to my intellectual development and growth, and insightful for my understanding of the Bolivia’s past and present history. I would also like to acknowledge the invaluable contribution of all of the people with whom I had conversations about this study, especially the women leaders of CONAMAQ who allowed me to stay with them in the Vigilia San Francisco over the course of their struggle. Their time and labour was greatly appreciated, and significantly contributed to the ways in which I framed and understood the issue, and Bolivia more generally. I learned more about the politics of struggle and mobilization from listening and debating with those involved in the moments I describe than I could have hoped for. Also this work could not have been completed without the funding support of the Social Science and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) and Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS) funding opportunities that enabled me to travel to Bolivia and return there the following year for follow-ups. Table of Contents Abstract ........................................................................................................................................ ii Resumen.....................................................................................................................................iii Acknowledgements.................................................................................................................... iv Table of Contents ...................................................................................................................... vi List of Tables ..............................................................................................................................ix List of Maps ................................................................................................................................. x List of Appendices..................................................................................................................... xi Introduction............................................................................................................................... 1 Chapter 1: Community Production and the Development of Capitalist Agricultural Production.................................................................................................................................11 1.1 Spanish colonialism, liberation and the colonial destruction of community ............................... 13 1.2 The Agrarian Reform and the ‘Rolling-Out’ of capitalism ................................................................. 2 0 1.3 Land and the years following the Agrarian Reform ................................................................................28 1.4 Re-construction of the community and the possibilities for agricultural production ............. 32 Chapter 2: The Ley de La Revolucion Productiva and the Contradictions of Capital .................................................................................................................................... 36 2.1 Ley de la Decada: Two years of hard work ............................................................................................... 37 2.2 The Ley de la Revolucion Productiva Communitaria Agropecuaria: Consultation, Contradiction and Consent ..............................................................................................................................................4 0 2.3 Genetically Modified Organisms.....................................................................................................................51 2.4 Genetically modified Organisms in Bolivia: Past and Present ........................................................52 Chapter 3: La