CONDEPA and UCS: the decline of Bolivian neopopulism

Summary

CONDEPA and UCS were born with the transformations of the 1980s in Bolivia: transition to democracy, economic crisis, application of economic liberalism, appreciation of multiculturalism. They made up the third party generation of the 20th century, characterized by their respect for democracy, the personalization of their leadership, their response to social marginalization and the loss of confidence in the new state project. CONDEPA and UCS reached their zenith in the 1997 presidential election. Five years later, however, CONDEPA came in last and UCS became merely a supporting player. The article follows the abrupt end of these parties, analyzing the shared traits and the difficulties of each organization: the personalization of leadership, the cost of participation in public administration, the mismanagement of the political and economic legacy left by the founders. .