Revolutionary Party of the Nationalist Left
Encyclopedia
The Revolutionary Party of the Nationalist Left was a left-wing
political party
in Bolivia
. It was founded in 1963 by the labor leader Juan Lechín Oquendo
and by Mario Torres Calleja and Edwin Moller in lesser roles. The PRIN seceded from the Revolutionary Nationalist Movement
(MNR) in protest against Víctor Paz Estenssoro
's decision to seek a third elected term as president in 1964, rather than permit then Vice-President Juan Lechín
to have the MNR's presidential nomination.
The PRIN combined the left wing of the MNR and former members of the Revolutionary Workers' Party
(POR). The PRIN's ideological position espouses left-wing nationalism
, rather than socialism
in more traditional terms. It is critical of bourgeois influence in the main body of the MNR.
Electorally, the PRIN abstained in the 1964 and 1966 presidential votes. After the military coup of 1964, the PRIN was forced underground. It was also weakened because Juan Lechín
was deported to Paraguay by the military junta
, he spent many years in exile between 1965 and 1978.
The PRIN was once again suppressed in the 1970s by the military under the presidency of Hugo Banzer
.
After 1971, its position as the main party to the left of the MNR was supplanted by a new party formed by Hernán Siles
, the Nationalist Revolutionary Movement of the Left (MNRI).
In 1978 the Revolutionary Party of the Nationalist Left took part in an electoral coalition Leftist Revolutionary Front backing Casiano Amurrio Rocha (Marxist Leninist Communist Party) and Domitila Chungara (independent) as its vice-president.
For the 1979 elections, the PRIN was the component of the Democratic and Popular Union, with the MNRI's Hernán Siles Zuazo
as the coalition's presidential candidate.
Following the end of military rule in 1979, a member of the PRIN, Lidia Gueiler Tejada
, was appointed interim president. Gueiler is the only woman ever to serve as president in Bolivia.
The PRIN ran Juan Lechín Oquendo
as its candidate on 29 June 1980, it garnered only a 01.20% vote.
Through almost two decades of existence, the PRIN has not been able to reach far beyond a role as the personal political vehicle of Juan Lechín Oquendo
, whose status as Bolivia's most charismatic labor leader was unchallenged nearly forty years after he first entered politics.
A split in 1979–1980 established the Revolutionary Party of the National Labour Left (Partido Revolucionario de la Izquierda Nacional Laboral, PRIN-L); a minor socialist party with a collective leadership including Edwin Moller and the Revolutionary Party of the National Left – Gueiler
(Partido Revolucionario de la Izquierda Nacional Gueiler, PRIN-G), a defunct party led by Lidia Gueiler Tejada
.
In 1985 the Revolutionary Party of the Nationalist Left took part in an electoral coalition United People's Front backing Antonio Aranibar Quiroga (Free Bolivia Movement
) and Oscar Salas Moya
(Communist Party of Bolivia
) as its vice-president.
Left-wing politics
In politics, Left, left-wing and leftist generally refer to support for social change to create a more egalitarian society...
political party
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
in Bolivia
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...
. It was founded in 1963 by the labor leader Juan Lechín Oquendo
Juan Lechín Oquendo
Juan Lechín Oquendo was a labor-union leader and head of the Federation of Bolivian Mine Workers from 1944 to 1987 and the Bolivian Workers' Union from 1952 to 1987...
and by Mario Torres Calleja and Edwin Moller in lesser roles. The PRIN seceded from 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) in protest against Víctor Paz Estenssoro
Víctor Paz Estenssoro
Ángel Víctor Paz Estenssoro was a politician and president of Bolivia. He ran for president 8 times , winning in 1951, 1960, 1964, and 1985....
's decision to seek a third elected term as president in 1964, rather than permit then Vice-President Juan Lechín
Juan Lechín Oquendo
Juan Lechín Oquendo was a labor-union leader and head of the Federation of Bolivian Mine Workers from 1944 to 1987 and the Bolivian Workers' Union from 1952 to 1987...
to have the MNR's presidential nomination.
The PRIN combined the left wing of the MNR and former members of the Revolutionary Workers' Party
Revolutionary Workers' Party (Bolivia)
The Revolutionary Workers' Party is a Trotskyist political party in Bolivia. At its height in the late 1940s and early 1950s, the POR was one of the few Trotskyist parties in history to gain a mass working-class following.-Beginnings:...
(POR). The PRIN's ideological position espouses left-wing nationalism
Nationalism
Nationalism is a political ideology that involves a strong identification of a group of individuals with a political entity defined in national terms, i.e. a nation. In the 'modernist' image of the nation, it is nationalism that creates national identity. There are various definitions for what...
, rather than socialism
Socialism
Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...
in more traditional terms. It is critical of bourgeois influence in the main body of the MNR.
Electorally, the PRIN abstained in the 1964 and 1966 presidential votes. After the military coup of 1964, the PRIN was forced underground. It was also weakened because Juan Lechín
Juan Lechín Oquendo
Juan Lechín Oquendo was a labor-union leader and head of the Federation of Bolivian Mine Workers from 1944 to 1987 and the Bolivian Workers' Union from 1952 to 1987...
was deported to Paraguay by the military junta
Military dictatorship
A military dictatorship is a form of government where in the political power resides with the military. It is similar but not identical to a stratocracy, a state ruled directly by the military....
, he spent many years in exile between 1965 and 1978.
The PRIN was once again suppressed in the 1970s by the military under the presidency of Hugo Banzer
Hugo Banzer
Hugo Banzer Suárez was a politician, military general, dictator and President of Bolivia. He held the Bolivian presidency twice: from August 22, 1971 to July 21, 1978, as a dictator; and then again from August 6, 1997 to August 7, 2001, as constitutional President.-Military and ideological...
.
After 1971, its position as the main party to the left of the MNR was supplanted by a new party formed by Hernán Siles
Hernán Siles Zuazo
Hernán Siles Zuazo was a politician from Bolivia. He served as his country's constitutionally elected president twice, from 1956 to 1960 and again from 1982 to 1985....
, the Nationalist Revolutionary Movement of the Left (MNRI).
In 1978 the Revolutionary Party of the Nationalist Left took part in an electoral coalition Leftist Revolutionary Front backing Casiano Amurrio Rocha (Marxist Leninist Communist Party) and Domitila Chungara (independent) as its vice-president.
For the 1979 elections, the PRIN was the component of the Democratic and Popular Union, with the MNRI's Hernán Siles Zuazo
Hernán Siles Zuazo
Hernán Siles Zuazo was a politician from Bolivia. He served as his country's constitutionally elected president twice, from 1956 to 1960 and again from 1982 to 1985....
as the coalition's presidential candidate.
Following the end of military rule in 1979, a member of the PRIN, Lidia Gueiler Tejada
Lidia Gueiler Tejada
Lidia Gueiler Tejada was the first female President of Bolivia, serving in an interim capacity from 1979 to 1980...
, was appointed interim president. Gueiler is the only woman ever to serve as president in Bolivia.
The PRIN ran Juan Lechín Oquendo
Juan Lechín Oquendo
Juan Lechín Oquendo was a labor-union leader and head of the Federation of Bolivian Mine Workers from 1944 to 1987 and the Bolivian Workers' Union from 1952 to 1987...
as its candidate on 29 June 1980, it garnered only a 01.20% vote.
Through almost two decades of existence, the PRIN has not been able to reach far beyond a role as the personal political vehicle of Juan Lechín Oquendo
Juan Lechín Oquendo
Juan Lechín Oquendo was a labor-union leader and head of the Federation of Bolivian Mine Workers from 1944 to 1987 and the Bolivian Workers' Union from 1952 to 1987...
, whose status as Bolivia's most charismatic labor leader was unchallenged nearly forty years after he first entered politics.
A split in 1979–1980 established the Revolutionary Party of the National Labour Left (Partido Revolucionario de la Izquierda Nacional Laboral, PRIN-L); a minor socialist party with a collective leadership including Edwin Moller and the Revolutionary Party of the National Left – Gueiler
Revolutionary Party of the National Left – Gueiler
The Revolutionary Party of the National Left – Gueiler was a small centrist political party in Bolivia....
(Partido Revolucionario de la Izquierda Nacional Gueiler, PRIN-G), a defunct party led by Lidia Gueiler Tejada
Lidia Gueiler Tejada
Lidia Gueiler Tejada was the first female President of Bolivia, serving in an interim capacity from 1979 to 1980...
.
In 1985 the Revolutionary Party of the Nationalist Left took part in an electoral coalition United People's Front backing Antonio Aranibar Quiroga (Free Bolivia Movement
Free Bolivia Movement
The Free Bolivia Movement is a progressive political party in Bolivia. The party was formed on January 15, 1985, following a split in MIR...
) and Oscar Salas Moya
Óscar Salas Moya
Óscar Salas Moya is a Bolivian politician and trade unionist. A miner by profession, Salas Moya was a key leader of the Communist Party of Bolivia and a leader of the Huanuni miners union...
(Communist Party of Bolivia
Communist Party of Bolivia
The Communist Party of Bolivia is a communist party in Bolivia. It was founded in 1950 by Raúl Ruiz González and other former members of the Revolutionary Left Party . It remained small and did not hold its first national party congress until 1959....
) as its vice-president.