René Zavaleta Mercado
Encyclopedia
René Zavaleta Mercado born in Oruro
(1935), died in Mexico City
(1984), was a Bolivian
politician
, sociologist and philosopher. Zavaleta was an extremely influential Bolivian thinker of the second half of twentieth century. His thought is usually divided in to three periods: the first nationalist, followed by an orthodox Marxist
phase, and finally his more influential unorthodox Marxism from a uniquely Bolivian perspective. Concepts originating from his work are fundamental to later development in Bolivian social sciences. Notable concepts such as "sociedad abigarrada" (roughly translated "motley society"), meaning a society juxtaposed by asymmetric relations of differentiated cultural power and its respective modes of production. Additionally considered important are Zavaleta's meaning of the terms "mases" ("masses") and "multitude". Today his work is considered essential for understanding the reality of Bolivian cultural, political, and social life.
As a politician, René Zavaleta was the Minister of Mines and Petroleum during the revolutionary government of the Revolutionary Nationalist Movement
(MNR). He also acted as a diplomat for Bolivia to Uruguay
and Chile
. As an academic, he studied at the University of San Andrés (UMSA) in La Paz
, the University of Oxford
, and was director of the Latin American Social Sciences Institute
(FLACSO), in Mexico
.
Zavaleta has had a notable influence on the thinking and work of important contemporary Bolivian leftist intellectuals: current Vice President
Álvaro García Linera
, elected member of the Bolivian Constituent Assembly
Raúl Prada
, as well as Luis Tapía, Oscar Vega López, among others.
Oruro, Bolivia
Oruro is a city in Bolivia with a population of 235,393 , located about equidistant between La Paz and Sucre at approximately 3710 meters above sea level. It is the capital of the department of Oruro....
(1935), died in Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
(1984), was a Bolivian
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
, sociologist and philosopher. Zavaleta was an extremely influential Bolivian thinker of the second half of twentieth century. His thought is usually divided in to three periods: the first nationalist, followed by an orthodox Marxist
Orthodox Marxism
Orthodox Marxism is the term used to describe the version of Marxism which emerged after the death of Karl Marx and acted as the official philosophy of the Second International up to the First World War and of the Third International thereafter...
phase, and finally his more influential unorthodox Marxism from a uniquely Bolivian perspective. Concepts originating from his work are fundamental to later development in Bolivian social sciences. Notable concepts such as "sociedad abigarrada" (roughly translated "motley society"), meaning a society juxtaposed by asymmetric relations of differentiated cultural power and its respective modes of production. Additionally considered important are Zavaleta's meaning of the terms "mases" ("masses") and "multitude". Today his work is considered essential for understanding the reality of Bolivian cultural, political, and social life.
As a politician, René Zavaleta was the Minister of Mines and Petroleum during the revolutionary government of the Revolutionary Nationalist Movement
Revolutionary Nationalist Movement
The Revolutionary Nationalist Movement is a Bolivian political party, perhaps the most important in the country during the 20th century. At the legislative elections in 2002, the party won, in an alliance with the Free Bolivia Movement, 26.9% of the popular vote and 36 out of 130 seats in the...
(MNR). He also acted as a diplomat for Bolivia to Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
and Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
. As an academic, he studied at the University of San Andrés (UMSA) in La Paz
La Paz
Nuestra Señora de La Paz is the administrative capital of Bolivia, as well as the departmental capital of the La Paz Department, and the second largest city in the country after Santa Cruz de la Sierra...
, the University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
, and was director of the Latin American Social Sciences Institute
Latin American Social Sciences Institute
The Latin American Social Sciences Institute is an inter-governmental autonomous organization for Latin America and the Caribbean dedicated to research, teaching and spreading of social sciences....
(FLACSO), in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
.
Zavaleta has had a notable influence on the thinking and work of important contemporary Bolivian leftist intellectuals: current Vice President
Vice President of Bolivia
This is a list of Vice Presidents of Bolivia, the second highest political position in Bolivia. There are several gaps in the list, caused by intermittent political turmoil. The names of Vice Presidents who also were President at one time or another are given in bold text...
Álvaro García Linera
Álvaro García Linera
Álvaro Marcelo García Linera is a Bolivian politician who has been Vice President of Bolivia since 2006.-Biography:He was born in Cochabamba and graduated from San Agustín High School. Then, he studied at the National Autonomous University of Mexico in Mexico City and became a mathematician...
, elected member of the Bolivian Constituent Assembly
Bolivian Constituent Assembly
The Bolivian Constituent Assembly, convened on August 6, 2006 in Sucre, with the purpose of drafting a new national constitution by December 14, 2007; extended from the original deadline of August 6, 2007. The Assembly approved the new Political Constitution of the State on 9 December 2007...
Raúl Prada
Raúl Prada
Raúl Prada Alcoreza is a Bolivian philosopher and sociologist, a docent-researcher at the Universidad Mayor de San Andrés, member of the La Paz-based Comuna group of political theorists, and participant in national Bolivia politics...
, as well as Luis Tapía, Oscar Vega López, among others.
Publications
In Spanish:- Estado nacional o pueblo de pastores (1956),
- Crecimiento de la idea nacional (19xx),
- 50 años de historia (19xx),
- El poder dual en América Latina: estudio de los casos de Bolivia y Chile (1974),
- Bolivia: Hoy (1982),
- Lo nacional-popular en Bolivia (1986)