Jim Shultz "Bolivia and Democracy" November 8, 2006

Jim Shultz speaks about the current politics of Bolivia, tracing their path from the water revolt in Cochabamba.

Since Bolivia’s historic water revolt, popular movements have sought to reconstruct the state to better serve the needs of its indigenous majority. Those efforts culminated in last December's election of Evo Morales as the nation's first indigenous president. Since his election, Bolivia has struggled to implement reforms, from a stymied “nationalization” of the petroleum-based industries to contentious attempts at a new national constitution that adequately represents all of Bolivia’s ethnically diverse communities.

Jim Shultz is the Executive Director of the Democracy Center and he has lived in Bolivia since 1998.  His reports on the Cochabamba Water War, and his ongoing reporting on Bolivia, are featured in newspapers, magazines and radio across the US, Canada and Europe.

Interest in Bolivia and its current president, Evo Morales, drew a large audience to hear Shultz speak on November 8.

Jim Shultz is Executive Director of the Democracy Center.