La Paz (Bolivia), 1930

By Emir Sader

Businessman in the mining sector, Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada spent much of his life in the United States. He joined the Revolutionary Nationalist Movement (MNR) at a young age, being elected as a deputy and senator. In 1985, he was appointed by Víctor Paz Estenssoro to the Ministry of Planning, where he implemented a strict fiscal adjustment plan, running for president in 1989, though he failed to be elected. He was elected president in 1993, continuing the monetary stabilization plan as a priority for his government, deepening social inequalities as a result, and defeating his candidate’s succession bid. He was re-elected in 2001, but was overthrown by social mobilizations opposing his economic plans. Before his fall, he promoted a strong crackdown on these movements, resulting in dozens of deaths. He sought refuge in the U.S. in light of an extradition request to answer for these crimes.