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Sánchez de Lozada, Gonzalo

La Paz (Bolivia), 1930

By Emir Sader

(Antônio Cruz/ABR)

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.