The Mentor: Bolivia, vol. 5, Num. 18, Serial 142, November 1, 1917Newman, E. M. (Edward Manuel)
History
The Mentor: Bolivia, vol. 5, Num. 18, Serial 142, November 1, 1917
Newman, E. M. (Edward Manuel)
Bolivia -- Description and travel
Simon Bolivar (bo-lee´-var) was elected the first president; and
Chuquisaca was made the capital under the name of Sucre. When General
Bolivar arrived in the city of La Paz on August 18th, he was greeted
with wild enthusiasm. He was inaugurated at Sucre in November; but
resigned in January, 1826, to return to Lima (lee´-mah) in Peru.
There was no peace for the people of Bolivia yet, however. Troublous
times followed, and finally came the war with Chile. This war arose
over the collection of an export tax on nitrate. Chile sent troops to
occupy Bolivian territory; and then Peru, linked to Bolivia by secret
treaty, together with that country, declared war on Chile on April 5,
1879. Both Peru and Bolivia were entirely unprepared, and Chile was
completely victorious in this war. As a result Bolivia lost what little
coastline the country had previously possessed.
During the last thirty years internal dissensions in Bolivia have for
the most part ceased. There was a brief time of trouble in 1898 over
the question of the capital city. It had been the custom for the cities
of Sucre, La Paz, Cochabamba (ko-chah-bahm´-bah), and Oruro (o-roo-ro)
to take turns in being the seat of government. In December, 1898,
however, the Bolivian Congress attempted to pass a law making Sucre the
permanent residence of the president and cabinet. La Paz protested,
and the people of the city rose in open revolt. On January 17, 1899, a
battle was fought between the insurgents and the government forces. The
insurgents were completely victorious. As a result, La Paz was made the
real seat of government, although Sucre retains the name of capital.
General Pando, (pahn´-do), commander of the revolutionary forces, was
elected president. In 1903 a boundary dispute with Brazil over some
rich rubber country was settled by the cession by Bolivia of a part
of the province of Acre, (ah´-kray), in return for a cash payment of
$10,000,000.
PREPARED BY THE EDITORIAL STAFF OF THE MENTOR ASSOCIATION
ILLUSTRATION FOR THE MENTOR. VOL. 5, No. 18, SERIAL No. 142
COPYRIGHT, 1917, BY THE MENTOR ASSOCIATION, INC.
[Illustration: PHOTOGRAPH BY E. M. NEWMAN
HOUSE OF CONGRESS, LA PAZ, BOLIVIA]
_BOLIVIA_
_Government and Institutions_
TWO
Bolivia is a centralized republic. Its government is representative in
form, but to a great extent it is autocratic in effect. The Bolivian
constitution was adopted on October 28, 1880, and is a model of its
kind. The executive branch of the government consists of a president
and two vice-presidents. They are elected by direct popular vote for
a period of four years, and are ineligible for election for the next
succeeding term. The president has a cabinet of six ministers: Foreign
Relations and Worship, Treasury, Government and Promotion (Fomento),
Justice and Industry, Public Instruction and Agriculture, War and
Colonization.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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