The Effects of Decentralization on the Democratic Deepening Process A Case Study of Bolivia Dissertation zur Erlangung des Grades eines Doktors der Philosophie am Fachbereich Sozialwissenschaften der Universität Hamburg vorgelegt von Miguel Angel Buitrago Bascopé aus La Paz Hamburg 2012 Miguel A. Buitrago i Page left intentionally blank Miguel A. Buitrago ii Acknowledgements The experience of writing a dissertation, on part-time basis, has been both a personally gratifying and an intellectually challenging experience. It has been an experience that did not only lay out the foundations for my professional development but also made me grow as a person. I am glad I decided to go forward on the path of academia. But, the path to a completed work has not been easy. In fact, the way is almost always accompanied by many people who in the roles of mentors, colleagues, friends and family, readily provide intellectual, moral and practical support. Fortunately, I have been able to benefit from such support and help. To all those who supported me in this endeavor I owe sincere and earnest thankfulness. In first place, I owe special thanks to my first supervisor, Prof. Dr. Detlef Nolte, for all the intellectual, academic, critical and encouraging support he gave me. I learned a lot from his carefully thought out critic as much as I was encouraged by his furtherance. In second place, I thank my second supervisor, Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Hein, whose thoughts, advice and criticism was invaluable for my work. In third place, I am deeply indebted to Dr. Bert Hoffmann for making it possible for me to travel to Bolivia to conduct my field research. Next, I would like to thank all of my colleagues at the GIGA Institute of Latin American Studies. Especial thanks to Prof. Dr. Klaus Bodemer, for his advice and support; to Dr. Mariana Llanos, for her advice and support as well; and to Dr. Almut Schilling-Vacaflor, for her insightful and helpful commentary. I would also like to thank Dr. Leslie Wehner, Dr. Otto Argueta, and Dr. Ulrike Capdepón, with whom, throughout the time we were working on our dissertations, I had stimulating, thought-provoking, and friendly conversations about our work. My own work benefited very much from these exchanges. Lastly, I would like to also especially thank the institute’s secretary, Stephanie Stövesand, for her valuable assistance and the librarians, Brigitte Waldeck and Doris Biesenbach, for keeping me well informed and up to date on the literature pertinent to my topic. Outside the institute’s setting, I benefited significantly from the support and the exchange of ideas with people I appreciate very much. I would like to thank Dr. Miguel Centellas, Dr. Miguel Rodriguez, and Dr. René Mayorga. I also owe much gratitude to colleagues from Miguel A. Buitrago iii the Instituto Latinoamericano de Investigaciones Sociales (ILDIS) from the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES) in La Paz, Bolivia, where I stayed while on my field research. My deepest gratitude goes to the former director, Willi Hahn, who welcomed me in that institution and to Moira Suazo, who kindly made available the institute’s resources for me and offered support and advice. At the same time, I would like to offer my sincere thanks to the institute’s staff. I would also like to sincerely thank the Bolivian experts I had the privilege of interviewing, especially for sharing their experience and knowledge about the Bolivian decentralization and democratization process. All that work would not have been possible without the support of friends and family. I would like to thank all the friends I made during my stay in the institute and in Hamburg. I owe them gratitude for their much needed encouragement and moral support. Last but not least, I would like to thank my family because they also encouraged me and made me feel their support, even if it was from across the Atlantic. Finally, I would like to extend special thanks to my wife, Sybille, for all her support, in any imaginable way. Miguel A. Buitrago iv List of Acronyms ADN Acción Democratica Nacionalista / Nationalist Democratic Action CDAP Comité Departamental de Aprobación de Proyectos / Departmental Committee for the Approval of Porjects CNE Congreso Nacional de Educación / National Education Congress COB Central Obrera Boliviana / Bolivian Workers Central CODENA Consejo de Desarrollo Nacional / Council for National Development CODEPES Consejo de Desarrollo Productivo, Economico y Social / Productive, Economic and Social Development Council CONDEPA Conciencia de Patria / Conscience of Fatherland CPPP Consejos Provinciales de Participación Popular / Provincial Councils of Popular Participation CSUTCB Confederación Sindical Unica de Trabajadores Campesinos de Bolivia / Syndicated Unique Confederation of Bolivian Peasant Workers CV Comité de Vigilancia / Vigilance Committee DILOS Directorio Local de Salud / Local Directory of Health DRU Dirección Revolucionaria Unificada / Unified Revolutionary Directory ENDE Empresa Nacional de Electricidad / National Electricity Enterprise ENFE Empresa Nacional de Ferrocarriles / National Trains Enterprise ENTEL Empresa Nacional de Telecomunicaciones / National Telecommunications Enterprise FCS Fondo de Control Social / Social Control Fund FDC Fondo de Desarrollo Campesino / Campesino Development Fund FIS Fondo de Inversion Social / Social Investment Fund FNDR Fondo Nacional de Desarrollo Regional / National Fund for Regional Development FPS Fondo Nacional de Inversion Productiva y Social / National Productive and Social Investment Fund FSTMB Federación Sindical de Trabajadores Mineros de Bolivia / Syndicated Federation of Bolivian Mining Workers JD Juntas Distritales / District Juntas JE Juntas Escolares / School Juntas JN Juntas de Nucleo / Core Juntas LAB Lloyd Aereo Boliviano / Bolivian Air Lloyd LPP Ley de Participación Popular / Popular Participation Law MAS Movimiento al Socialismo / Movement Towards Socialism MBL Movimiento Bolivia Libre / Free Bolivia Movement MDCS Mecanismo Departamental de Control Social / Departmental Social Control Mechanisms MIR Moviniento de Izquierda Revolucionaria/ Leftist Revolutionary Movement MNCS Mecanismo Nacional de Control Social / National Social Control Mechanism MNR Movimiento Nacionalista Revolucionario / Revolutionary Nationalist Movement MNRI Movimiento Nacionalista Revolucionario de Izquierda / Leftist Revolutionary Nationalist Movement MNRH Movimiento Nacionalista Revolucionario Historico / Historic Revolutionary Nationalist Movement Miguel A. Buitrago v MRTKL Movimiento Revolucionario Tupak Katari de Liberación / Tupak Katari Revolutionary Movement of Liberation NFR Nueva Fuerza Republicana / New Republican Force OTB Organización Territorial de Base / Territorial Base Organization PDM Plan de Desarrollo Municipal / Municipal Development Plan PDDES Plan Departamental de Desarrollo Económico y Social / Departmental Plan for Economic and Social Development PGDES Plan General de Desarrollo Económico y Social de la República / General Plan for Economic and Social Development of the Republic PM Presupuesto Municipal / Municipal Budget POA Plan Operativo Anual / Annual Operative Plan RDS Redes de Salud / Health Networks SAFCO Ley de Administración y Control Gubernamental / Law of Administration and Government Control SEDES Servicios Departamentales de Salud / Departmental Health Service SED-FMC Servicios Departamentales para el Fortalecimiento Municipal y Comunitario / Departmental Service for the Strengthening of the Municipality and the Community SISPLAN Sistema Nacional de Planificacion / National Planning System UCS Unidad Civica de Solidaridad / Solidarity Civic Union UDP Unión Democratica Popular / Democratic Popular Union UTPD Unidad Téchnica de Planificación Departamental / Technical Unit of Departmental Planning YPFB Yacimientos Petroliferos Fiscales Bolivianos / Bolivian Fiscal Petroleum Deposits Miguel A. Buitrago vi Lists of tables, figures and graphs List of tables Table 3.1: Dimensions and levels of decentralization Table 3.2: Framework of analysis: Institutions Table 3.3: Framework of analysis: Participation Table 3.4: Framework of analysis: Citizenship Table 5.1: Hierarchy of laws Table 5.2: Core laws of the decentralization process Table 5.3: Institutions reformed and created by the decentralization process Table 5.4: Progression in the creation of normative institutions List of figures Figure 3.1: Schema of a decentralization program Figure 3.2: Conceptual framework Figure 5.1: Word cloud of the law of popular participation Figure 5.2: State-civil institutions and mechanism of interaction Figure 6.1: Bolivia and its municipalities List of graphs Graph 6.1: Matrix depicting the trends of voter turnout by municipality Graph 6.2: Percentage voter participation by municipality per election year, Chuquisaca Graph 6.3: Percentage voter participation by municipality per election year, Beni Graph 6.4: Percentage voter participation by municipality per election year, Tarija Graph 6.5: Percentage voter participation by municipality per election year, Oruro Graph 6.6: Percentage voter participation by municipality per election year, Potosi Graph 6.7: Percentage voter participation by municipality per election year, La Paz Graph 6.8: Percentage voter participation by municipality per election year, Cochabamba Graph 6.9: Percentage voter participation by municipality per election year, Santa Cruz Graph 6.10: Percentage voter participation by municipality per election year, Pando Graph 6.11: Departmental voter turnout trend matrix