Separatism in the Department of Santa Cruz as a Factor in the Destabilisation of Bolivia

Abstract

The subject of this research is the analysis of the impact that separatism in the department of Santa Cruz in Bolivia has on the destabilisation of this country, primarily through the study of two cases: the months-long rebellion of the rich and lowland eastern departments led by Santa Cruz against the central government in 2008 and the role played by separatist political forces from Santa Cruz in carrying out the coup d’état against Evo Morales in 2019. The research aims to validate the first hypothesis, which holds that Santa Cruz separatism is a historical category and that it causes social, political, and economic tensions between the western and eastern regions of Bolivia, which are geographically and culturally distinct from one another. The results of the research showed that separatism in the department of Santa Cruz is one of the key factors in the destabilisation of Bolivia because there are farright-oriented political parties and movements, as well as politicians and influential rich people who are strongly against the left-wing regime and who want to create an independent state on the soil of this department. The research’s conclusion highlights the historicalrivalry between Bolivia’s eastern and western parts while also emphasising the necessity of demystifying the superiority of the Santa Cruz identity over native identities and fostering dialogue to end it. We employed historical, case study, and comparative analytic methods during the research.

Keywords

• bolivia
• santa cruz
• separatism
• coup d'etat
• identity supremacy