Victor Paz Estenssoro
Victor Paz Estenssoro was the president of Bolivia several times. He was first elected but never allowed to serve in 1951. In April 1952, his party, the Movimiento Nacionalista Revolucionario (MNR) took power by force, and he served as president from 1952-1956. During his first term, he nationalized the three largest mining companies and oversaw the most far-reaching land reforms in the western hemisphere. He was re-elected in 1960 and 1964, but overthrown in a coup soon thereafter.
Paz Estenssoro was re-elected once again in 1985, serving this time in a very different context. This time, he pushed a program of neoliberal economic "shock therapy" designed by Jeffrey Sachs through the government, undoing the very reforms he put in place during his first stint in office.
Contents
1985 Presidency
Drug War
Articles and Resources
References