Indigenous territoriality and political agenda in Bolivia (1970-2010)

Laurent Lacroix (1)

1 SOGIP - Scales of Governance: The UN, the States and Indigenous Peoples. Self-determination in the time of globalization (ERC 249236)

Bolivia seems to be moving toward the integration of indigenous territories into the institutional, political and administrative organization of the state, a process that would result in the establishment of autonomous ethnic districts and jurisdictions. This article offers a cross-reading of events in three political arenas over the last four decades: the mobilization of indigenous organizations in defense of their rights; national debates on ethnically defined territories and indigenous identity; and increasing international support for the protection and promotion of indigenous peoples' rights. The aim is a better understanding of the complex interactions between scales of governance that have led to this new political landscape in Bolivia.

La Bolivie semble s'engager vers l'institutionnalisation de territoires autochtones intégrés à l'organisation politico-administrative de l'Etat. Ce processus se traduirait par l'instauration de circonscriptions et de juridictions ethniques autonomes. Cet article propose une lecture croisée considérant à la fois la mobilisation des organisations autochtones pour leurs droits, les débats nationaux autour des questions de territoires et d'autochtonie et l'évolution du contexte international au cours des quatre dernières décennies pour tenter de mieux comprendre les effets d'imbrication d'échelles de gouvernance qui ont mené à cet horizon politique en Bolivie.

Mots clés: Bolivia; indigenous peoples; territory; autonomy; political process

Mots clés: Bolivie; peuples autochtones; territoire; autonomie; traitement politique

Domaines: Sociologie

Laurent Lacroix. Indigenous territoriality and political agenda in Bolivia (1970-2010). 2012. ⟨halshs-00738479⟩