Evo Morales and the indigenous peoples in Bolivia: an analysis of the 2002 and 2005 presidential elections

Abstract

This thesis examines the relationship between the indigenous peoples and the electoral success of Evo Morales in the 2002 and 2005 Bolivian presidential elections. Morales earned a surprising 20% of the vote in 2002 enough for second place. In 2005, Morales earned over 50% of the presidential vote. He is the first indigenous president of Bolivia and is the first to receive over 50% of the vote since the re-transition to democracy. The electoral success of Morales has been framed in the context of the indigenousness in Bolivia, the country with the highest proportions of indigenous peoples in South America. This thesis explores whether or not indigenousness offers a compelling explanation for the unprecedented electoral success for Evo Morales in the 2002 and 2005 elections. The findings of this thesis suggest that the relationship between Morales‟s electoral performance and indigenousness is not as strong as previously suggested.