Untangling anti-Indian narratives in the 2019 Bolivian crisis: violence, anxiety and discourse

Abstract

ABSTRACT The 2005 arrival of Evo Morales to power came with high expectations about the increased participation of indigenous people in the country’s social and political life. However, the violence perpetrated against urban indigenous people allied to MAS from the moment Morales stepped down has shone a light on the volatile nature of unresolved racial tensions in Bolivia. This article centers on the rapid escalation of anti-Indian racism during the 2019 electoral crisis and ensuing political conflict and the weight of anti-Indian racial narratives at the heart of the violence. Through an analysis of archives and data collected during the conflict through mediated approaches , this paper examines the 2019 crisis, focusing on the surge in anti-Indian violence, and briefly discusses pre-crisis anti-racist efforts by the MAS administration. Then, it reflects on the idea of the ‘savage Indian’ and racial regimes that produced key ‘discursive formations’ that continue to polarize Bolivia. It then critically assesses the ideology of mestizaje’s racial role in the crisis, positioning it within a broader anti-Indian narrative that confines Indianness to the past while hindering acknowledgement, reconciliation, and healing from racial trauma.