The paradigm of Vivir Bien: the relation between Bolivia’s national philosophy and local development

Abstract

The past ten years the plurinational state of Bolivia is presided by a socialistic leftish government. The still incumbent president Evo Morales and his political party MAS, adhere a philosophy that is perpendicular to the classical-traditional approach and which is equated with neoliberalism and colonialism. In response thereto, the philosophy of Vivir Bien represents the complete opposite. Vivir Bien is a symbol for an ideal and harmonious society which is divers, equal and complementary, while it does not know racism, discrimination or exclusion. It is part of an alternative development strategy which is directed to the stimulation of development by means of a bottom-up approach, self-reliance and basic needs. By making use of a decentralized structure, local governments are encouraged to implement policies directed to local development under the heading of Vivir Bien. This thesis contextualizes how the philosophy of Vivir Bien is reflected on the local level and how it influences local development. By means of qualitative research methods and discourse- and statistical analyzes, three municipalities in the department of Chuquisaca are investigated. The municipalities under study - Yotala, Presto and Monteagudo - are all chaired by a local MAS government, but differ in their social and economical characteristics. This thesis illustrates that the philosophy of Vivir Bien on the local level is mainly a façade. The real impact of Vivir Bien on the present local developments is not directly detectable. However, the philosophy of Vivir Bien is used as justification by the MAS for these development policies. While these are not always compatible with the outlined ideas, processes and principles propagated by Vivir Bien.