중남미

Since the entry into force of the new Constitution (January 2009), Bolivia has experienced important political and institutional transformations, marked by the spotlight of indigenous peoples after decades of strong mobilizations. In the heart of these transformations, the proclamation of Bolivia as a “Plurinational State” and the extensive recognition of indigenous peoples’ collective rights feature prominently. Among these rights, the right to self-determination stands out, opening up the door to the establishment of indigenous autonomy systems. However, even when the Bolivian Constitution is the most advanced of Latin America in the field of the recognition of indigenous peoples’ collective rights, its implementation is facing many challenges. This situation creates a significant gap between the formal model of Plurinational State and the Plurinational State in practice, as it is attested by the existence of multiple burocratic hurdles posed to the indigenous autonomies prior to its full establishment. The long list of administrative requirements illustrate the lack of political will of the State, despite the fact that on 6 December 2009, 11 municipalites started the process of “conversion” to the autonomy. In this context, the present paper gives an account of the distance between the model and its implementation through an analysis of the system of indigenous autonomies, which draws on the case study of the Charagua Iyambae Guarani Autonomy and its new governance system.