Department or Program

Environmental Studies

Abstract

The current political administration in Bolivia has become one of the most prominent actors in the global climate justice movement that seeks to establish equality and reduce vulnerability in an era of anthropogenic climate change. An overwhelming resistance to ineffective neoliberal policies implemented by global governance institutions such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund in the 1980s and 1990s delivered a new administration headed by Evo Morales, Bolivia's first indigenous president since its inception as a nation state in 1825. Evo brought with him promises for radical progressive change centered around decolonization, economic redistribution, renewal and affirmation of Bolivian indigenous values, and a departure from the global capitalist system that historically has subjugated Bolivia’s people and natural resources to extreme exploitation. His commitments are reflected in the aims of climate justice, a movement that has recently taken hold amongst groups that recognize the harsh realities of climate change and the disproportionate impacts that will inevitably occur due to preexisting social inequality. However, despite Evo’s proclaimed objectives, the Bolivian government remains heavily dependent on resource extraction to fuel its initiatives, and has continued to engage in the very capitalistic practices that Evo has condemned for bringing his country ruin. In the following thesis, I flesh out this contradiction and address the barriers Bolivia faces to pursuing climate justice through an analysis of domestic and foreign factors at play.

Level of Access

Open Access

First Advisor

Pieck, Sonja

Date of Graduation

5-2019

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Number of Pages

160

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