In La Paz, Bolivia, leftist opposition leaders are threatening to shut down the city if their demands are not met. Last week President Carlos Mesa resigned under pressure from thousands of indigenous people who took to the streets. He is the second president driven from power in just two years.
Bolivia is Latin America’s poorest country and it is marked by deep economic, political and ethnic divides. In Bolivia, as elsewhere in the region, dissatisfaction with corruption, poor healthcare and endemic poverty has led to disillusionment with elected officials, government institutions.
Many Latin Americans see their countries economic failures as failures of democracy and are rejecting the U.S. model of a capitalist, free market system — and embracing socialism.
Guests:
Bill Faries, Christian Science Monitor Reporter
Eduardo Gamarra, Director of Latin American and Caribbean Center at Florida International University
Jack Spence, Political Science Professor at the University of Massachusetts, Boston