AUTHOR'S BIO

Roberto Laserna

Roberto Laserna is a Professor of Social Science at Universidad Mayor de San Simón, Cochabamba, Bolivia.

RECENT COMMENTARIES

FEATURED COMMENTARIES

The March of the Caudillos

2007-11-12

The re-election of Presidents Hugo Chávez and Evo Morales for unlimited periods in Venezuela and Bolivia, respectively, reflects a phenomenon – caudillismo – that has never been far from the surface of Latin American politics. The weaker a country’s institutions, the more evident the inequalities, and the more concentrated the resources, the greater the caudillo’s powers will be.... read

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Twenty-First Century Populism

Roberto Laserna Series: Latin America

2007-02-26

In Venezuela, Bolivia, and Ecuador a new left is said to being born, which their presidents call “twenty-first century socialism.” But, despite the supposed novelty of their vision, their actions seem only to be replicating the self-destructive policies that have brought such agony to Cuba.... read

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Bolivia’s Same Old Revolution

Roberto Laserna Series: Latin America

2005-12-12

Bolivia is at a defining moment in its history. It recently found a new source of wealth, natural gas, but may become yet another victim of the so-called “natural resource curse.” In their eagerness to embrace development policies that are proven failures, all of the candidates in the presidential election scheduled for December 18 appear unaware of this risk.... read

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Bolivia's Populist Temptation

Roberto Laserna Series: Latin America

2003-11-13

In April 2002, violent demonstrations known as the "water war" in Bolivia forced President Hugo Bánzer to cancel the contract with the only international corporation interested in taking on the most ambitious water project ever proposed in the country. Recently, another major popular upheaval ended a project to export natural gas to Mexico and the United States through a Chilean seaport. ... read

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