Bolivia in 1967: a Nonviolent Perspective

Nineteen sixty-seven in Bolivia is known for the guerrilla campaign of Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara. Less well known is that simultaneously, Bolivia witnessed movements of nonviolent resistance that paralysed the country. This article presents, based on a thorough review of the relevant literature, the only written history of these nonviolent movements. Miners, following a failed armed response to a military invasion deployed by the government, carried out weeks of strike action that cost hundreds of thousands of dollars and froze the mining regions of the country, but failed to garner solidarity given their previous violent tendencies and ended in a worse position. Teenage students, fed up with years of government inaction, took to the streets for months to demand educational improvements, calling strike action, blocking roads, and carrying out classes in city plazas as symbolic acts of protest. After the students’ pleas gained significant public support, the government dedicated millions in funds to placate the students. At the latter end of the student movement, teachers carried out an unsuccessful strike for increased wages, but the disruption to the school year caused by the student movement made the teachers’ decision to strike unfavourable and public opinion quickly rallied against their lofty demands. Finally, in an explosive one day strike, the oil workers literally brought the country to a standstill through concerted and unified action. As petrol stations began to run dry, the government quickly caved in, reversing its decree that undermined the authority of the state oil company. This article identifies three characteristics conducive to success: internal unity, which improved coordination, collective bargaining, and cultivated feelings of determination and solidarity; nonviolent discipline, which avoided the negative labels associated with violence; and the public perception of a just cause motivating action, which served to boost support for the movement and generate participant enthusiasm, courage, and even pride. Notably, feelings of anger, though potentially beneficial for motivating action, had negative consequences when associated with a lack of nonviolent discipline. Che Guevara’s failed Bolivian guerrilla campaign is known worldwide. However, this history of mass struggle of a nonviolent nature has been completely eclipsed. It exemplifies the potential of nonviolent resistance, especially in the face of a military dictatorship. The historiography affirms that the guerrilla movement dominated public concerns at the time, but for Bolivian citizens anywhere in the country, nonviolent resistance had deeper consequences on their daily lives.