Bolivia: Legitimation Crisis and State (In)capacity

The paper argues that Bolivia's response to Covid-19 was undermined by a deep political crisis following the disputed exit of Evo Morales and the installation of an interim government under Jeanine Áñez. This lack of legitimacy led to a deadlock between the executive and the MAS-led legislature, resulting in the failure to secure IMF loans, disputes over the legality of emergency powers, and the repeated postponement of elections. Public trust further eroded due to corruption in medical procurement and the perceived selective application of quarantine measures, leading to widespread protests and a perception that the pandemic was being politicized for electoral gain.

• The interim government led by Jeanine Áñez faced a severe legitimacy crisis after she announced her candidacy for President in January, a move viewed by civil society and political opponents as a "betrayal of her constitutional mandate".
• A systemic conflict between the executive branch and the MAS-controlled legislature led to the rejection of a $327 million loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on the grounds that the government failed to provide mandatory supporting documentation.
• The Bolivian legislature passed a law to regulate the state of emergency to prevent the "militarization of the pandemic response" and ensure that military and civilian officers remain responsible for their actions, which the executive branch criticized as "tying the hands" of security forces.
• Public mistrust in the government increased due to corruption in the procurement of respirators financed by the Inter-American Development Bank, where the government paid over $27,000 per unit despite a market price of approximately $7,000.
• The government was accused of applying quarantine measures unevenly, allowing elites and political allies to use official Bolivian Air Force flights while denying entrance to working-class emigrants who became "stranded at the border for days, under dire conditions".
• The pandemic became a tool for political conflict, with the opposition accusing President Áñez of using health concerns to postpone elections to hold onto power, while the government accused the opposition of "inciting and supporting violence".
• The interim government's management of the health crisis was viewed negatively by approximately 60% of the population, leading to massive protests and blockades in defiance of quarantine restrictions.

APA

Guimarães, A. S. (2020). Bolivia: Legitimation Crisis and State (In)capacity. Public Affairs Research Institute. https://pari.org.za/covid-19-states-and-societies-bolivia/

Chicago

Guimarães, Alice Soares. Bolivia: Legitimation Crisis and State (In)capacity. Public Affairs Research Institute, 2020. https://pari.org.za/covid-19-states-and-societies-bolivia/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Guimarães |first1=Alice Soares |title=Bolivia: Legitimation Crisis and State (In)capacity |publisher=Public Affairs Research Institute |date=11 September 2020 |url=https://pari.org.za/covid-19-states-and-societies-bolivia/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{guimares2020bolivia, author = {Guimarães, Alice Soares}, title = {{Bolivia: Legitimation Crisis and State (In)capacity}}, institution = {Public Affairs Research Institute}, year = {2020}, month = sep, url = {https://pari.org.za/covid-19-states-and-societies-bolivia/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }