La Paz in History

Murillo helps establish the Junta Tuitiva in La Paz

Murillo is executed by royalist authorities after the defeat of the La Paz uprising

Sucre enters La Paz after royalist authority collapses in Upper Peru.

Santa Cruz reorganises public finances, the army and central administration.

Santa Cruz begins a presidency that restores administrative order and central state authority.

Santa Cruz promulgates a constitution strengthening presidential authority.

Velasco restores Bolivia as a separate republic after the confederation collapses.

Velasco promulgates a constitution following the end of the Peru-Bolivian Confederation.

Ballivian promulgates a constitution strengthening executive authority and national administration.

Velasco returns to the presidency after Ballivian's departure.

Ballivian resigns amid political rebellion and leaves Bolivia.

Belzu takes power after defeating Velasco's government.

Belzu promulgates a constitution during his populist military presidency.

Cordova succeeds Belzu and begins a constitutional presidential term.

Linares attempts to reduce corruption and reorganise state administration.

Acha joins the military overthrow of President Linares.

Acha begins serving as constitutional President of Bolivia.

Melgarejo seizes power and begins an authoritarian presidency.

Melgarejo assumes the presidency after overthrowing Acha.

Melgarejo issues measures that threaten communal Indigenous landholding.

Morales leads the uprising that removes Melgarejo from power.

Frias assumes interim authority after President Morales is assassinated.

Ballivian dies in office after a brief constitutional presidency.

Frias begins a second presidential period after Ballivian's death.

Daza overthrows Frias and establishes a military government.

Campero becomes provisional president during the continuing war with Chile.

Campero promulgates the constitution that anchors Bolivia's later oligarchic republic.

Enrique Hertzog Garaiz is born in La Paz.

Pando's victory establishes La Paz as the permanent seat of executive government.

Pando's Liberal forces defeat the constitutional government during the Federal War.

Villazon begins a constitutional Liberal Party presidency.

Gutierrez Guerra begins the final presidency of the Liberal Party era.

Saavedra helps lead the Republican coup that ends the Liberal Party's long rule.

Escalier joins the Republican junta formed after the overthrow of Gutierrez Guerra.

Saavedra begins his constitutional presidency after the Republican movement takes power.

Luis Adolfo Siles Salinas is born in La Paz.

Guzman assumes interim authority during the presidential succession crisis.

Siles Reyes begins his constitutional presidency.

Siles Reyes resigns after opposition to his effort to extend presidential power.

Blanco Galindo heads a military provisional government and prepares elections.

Salamanca begins his presidency amid escalating tensions with Paraguay.

Directs Bolivia's political war effort during the Chaco conflict.

Bolivia formally enters declared war with Paraguay during the Chaco War.

Kundt is removed from command after major Bolivian reverses in the Chaco War

Tejada Sorzano's government accepts the ceasefire ending the Chaco War.

Toro takes power and introduces a reformist military government after defeat in the Chaco War.

Toro becomes president and advances the programme known as military socialism.

Nationalizes Standard Oil's Bolivian holdings after the Chaco War

Toro nationalises Standard Oil's Bolivian properties.

Toro nationalises Standard Oil's Bolivian assets

Busch removes Toro and takes control of the military socialist government.

Busch promulgates a constitution influenced by social reform and Chaco War nationalism.

Penaranda campaigns for the presidency after leading Bolivia's armed forces.

Busch dies in La Paz, ending his military reformist presidency.

Quintanilla assumes interim authority after the death of German Busch.

Penaranda wins the presidential election as candidate of the conservative alliance.

Penaranda wins the presidential election as candidate of the conservative alliance.

General election outcome recorded for Enrique Penaranda Castillo: Penaranda wins the presidential election as candidate of the conservative alliance.

Government context for this general election: Penaranda wins the presidential election as candidate of the conservative alliance.

Villarroel joins military and MNR conspirators in overthrowing Penaranda.

Villarroel's government convenes Bolivia's first national Indigenous congress.

Villarroel is killed after crowds storm the presidential palace in La Paz.

Paz Estenssoro wins the presidential election but is prevented from taking office.

Paz Estenssoro returns from exile after the MNR's revolutionary victory.

The revolutionary government recognises the newly created Bolivian Workers Central.

Lechin helps found the COB as organised labour gains power after the revolution

Paz Estenssoro's government establishes universal adult suffrage.

Paz Estenssoro creates COMIBOL to administer state mining operations.

Siles Zuazo introduces a stabilisation programme to curb inflation and fiscal deficits.

Siles Zuazo adopts a stabilisation plan to control inflation after the revolution

Paz Estenssoro promulgates a constitution reflecting reforms of the National Revolution.

Ovando governs jointly with Barrientos after the military coup.

Ovando helps topple Paz Estenssoro and end the MNR's continuous rule.

Barrientos becomes vice president after running with Paz Estenssoro.

Ovando and Barrientos overthrow Paz Estenssoro and establish a military co-presidency.

Barrientos joins Ovando in the coup that removes Paz Estenssoro.

Barrientos wins the presidential election and returns Bolivia to formal civilian government.

Ovando becomes president and nationalises the Bolivian Gulf Oil Company's holdings.

Ovando nationalises Gulf Oil's Bolivian holdings

Torres takes power and begins a left-nationalist phase of military government.

Siles Salinas returns to Bolivia and becomes a prominent defender of human rights.

Siles Salinas participates in political opposition during the Banzer dictatorship.

Torres permits the People's Assembly of unions and leftist organisations to convene.

Banzer overthrows Torres with military and conservative political support.

Banzer bans major party and union activity as his dictatorship hardens

Banzer permits a presidential election as pressure increases for a return to civilian rule.

Pereda seizes power after the disputed presidential election is annulled.

Padilla removes Pereda and promises elections leading toward civilian rule.

Congress selects Guevara Arze as interim president after an inconclusive election.

Natusch launches a coup against the interim constitutional government.

Gueiler becomes Bolivia's first female president after the failure of the Natusch coup.

Siles Salinas campaigns unsuccessfully in the 1980 presidential election.

Quiroga Santa Cruz is killed during the Garcia Meza coup

Garcia Meza seizes power in a violent military coup.

Garcia Meza resigns as military support for his dictatorship collapses.

Torrelio succeeds Garcia Meza as head of the military government.

Vildoso assumes power and organises the transfer to the elected civilian government.

Siles Zuazo takes office and restores civilian democratic rule.

Paz Estenssoro issues Supreme Decree 21060 to attack hyperinflation and restructure the economy

Paz Estenssoro promulgates Supreme Decree 21060 to halt hyperinflation and liberalise the economy.

The government restructures COMIBOL and dismisses thousands of state mining employees.

Paz Zamora becomes president through a congressional coalition after an inconclusive election.

Sanchez de Lozada begins his first presidency with market and institutional reforms.

Sanchez de Lozada promulgates the Capitalization Law for major state enterprises.

The Popular Participation Law decentralises resources and recognises municipal and community participation.

The government enacts the INRA Law governing land reform and property regularisation.

Banzer returns to office as an elected civilian president.

Quiroga succeeds President Banzer after illness forces Banzer to resign.

Sanchez de Lozada resigns after deadly protests over natural-gas policy.

Sanchez de Lozada resigns after mass protests over gas exports and state violence

Mesa holds a national referendum on the future management of natural gas.

Mesa resigns amid nationwide protests and conflict over hydrocarbons and regional autonomy.

Morales wins the presidential election as the Movement Toward Socialism candidate.

Rodriguez Veltze faces investigation over the transfer of Bolivian missiles to the United States.

Morales decrees state control over Bolivia's hydrocarbon resources and production.

Morales wins a recall referendum and strengthens his presidential mandate.

Voters approve the new constitution in a national referendum.

Morales promulgates the constitution creating the Plurinational State of Bolivia.

Morales wins election to another presidential term with a legislative majority.

Voters reject a constitutional amendment allowing Morales to seek another consecutive term.

Morales resigns amid disputed election results, mass protests and military pressure.

Anez assumes the interim presidency during the post-election political crisis.

Arce wins the presidential election as the Movement Toward Socialism candidate.

Arce is inaugurated as President of Bolivia.

Arce confronts a failed military coup attempt centred on Plaza Murillo.

Paz leads the first presidential round and advances to Bolivia's first runoff.

Paz wins Bolivia's first presidential runoff and ends the MAS government's long tenure.

Paz is inaugurated as President of Bolivia during a severe economic crisis.