At Work Around the World

Bolivia

Waging Peace

Promoting the Right of Access to Information

Following civil society protests and President Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada's resignation in October 2003, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter traveled to La Paz in December 2003. President Carter met with then president Carlos Mesa, representatives of the main political parties, and civil society leaders to explore issues affecting Bolivian democracy and to discuss ways to collaborate with the Center's access to information initiative. At all the meetings, participants stressed that access to information was a priority in Bolivia as a means to further social inclusion and support development initiatives and was a fundamental human right.

In a speech to the joint session of Congress at the year-end closing, President Carter said, "You have enjoyed democracy with its benefits and its faults for more than two decades, and you have demonstrated that even in times of greatest conflict, democracy is your preferred method to resolve problems. But now you face a crossroads in your journey, and only you can choose the path you will follow. Will it be a new Bolivia, unshackled from the constraints of the past or a Bolivia still trapped by social and economic divisions?

"We have seen in other countries how lawmakers and civil society have re-established broken relationships as they drafted and implemented this [access to information] law, and we are looking forward to seeing the same in Bolivia. In collaboration with government and civil society, we will remain engaged after the law is passed to support its full implementation and effective enforcement. The Carter Center looks forward to working with Bolivia on this important initiative and to witnessing the flourishing of rights, responsibilities, and democracy."

Carter Center activities relating to the establishment of an access to information regime began in 2003, including a number of public and private meetings, the provision of observations regarding the first draft of the access to information law, and the subsequent visit of President Carter in December. In 2004, The Carter Center continued to support government and civil society efforts to establish an access to information regime by opening a local field office in La Paz, raising awareness of the right to and value of information, drafting and supporting the application of a voluntary openness strategy, and assisting the preparation of a comprehensive draft law with civil society input and observations based on the best international experiences. The Bolivia Access to Information Project maintains its presence in Bolivia, continuing to collaborate with and support the key stakeholders.

Read the report (Spanish and English): La Promocion de la Democracia a Traves del Acceso a la Informacion: Bolivia (PDF) and The Promotion of Democracy Through Access to Information: Bolivia (PDF) and learn more about the Center's Access to Information Initiative.


Building a Model for Transparency

The Carter Center and its Council of Presidents and Prime Ministers of the Americas initiated a multiyear project to work with governments and civil societies in the Americas to develop monitoring mechanisms to help ensure transparency in government transactions and serve as a model for the rest of the world. It was recognized that transparency serves to improve investor confidence, spur economic growth, provide better public services to the population, and increase public confidence in democratic institutions.

At a high-level conference held May 4-5, 1999, leaders from across the hemisphere, including former Bolivia President Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada, a member of the council, came to The Carter Center to evaluate specific anti-corruption efforts and seek commitments from other governments to implement similar strategies in their own countries.

Urging a Moratorium on Arms Sales

Although Latin America spends relatively less on defense than most other regions, expenditures on expensive weapons systems divert scarce foreign exchange from more effective investments, including education. They also compel neighbors to spend more on defense and, by doing so, generate international tensions. Concerned about an arms race in Latin America, the Carter Center's Council of Presidents and Prime Ministers of the Americas urged governments in the region to pause before embarking on major arms purchases. Between April 1997 and March 1998, 28 current heads of government and 14 former heads of government signed a written pledge to accept a moratorium of two years on purchasing sophisticated weapons. Among the signatories was Bolivia President Sánchez de Lozada.

Learn more about the Carter Center's Americas Program.