The Bolivian Revolution at 60: Politics and Historiography

The 60th anniversary of the Bolivian Revolution of 1952 led by the MNR provided an opportunity to review a Latin American political experience of disputed importance in the light of the government of the MAS under Evo Morales since 2006. This essay reappraises the historiography of 1952 from the perspective of MNR officialism and from critical positions, particularly those associated with indigenismo or Katarismo. Bolivia hoy, an influential collection of essays edited by Rene Zavaleta Mercado in 1983, is identified as a key moment in changing interpretations of the 1952 revolution.