Álvaro García Linera
Encyclopedia
Álvaro Marcelo García Linera (born October 19, 1962) is a Bolivia
n politician
who has been Vice President of Bolivia
since 2006.
and graduated from San Agustín High School
. Then, he studied at the National Autonomous University of Mexico
in Mexico City
and became a mathematician
. Returning to his native Bolivia, he attempted to put some of his long-held socialist ideals to practice and joined the Katarist "Ponchos Rojos", a series of experimental, Marxist-inspired native communities in northwestern Bolivia. When this attempt at grass-roots politics failed to come to fruition, García Linera opted for a more radical approach. Alongside Felipe Quispe
, he organized and worked in the insurgent Tupac Katari Guerrilla Army
. After being caught destroying electrical distribution towers in rural La Paz
, he was arrested and charged with insurrection and terrorism.
While imprisoned, he studied sociology. After his release he worked as a university professor, political analyst, and news commentator. He was a well known academic, known for his support of indigenous and left-wing political movements in South America (in spite of his upper-middle class upbringing and the fact that he is of Spanish
descent). He wrote a monograph about the different political and social organizations that were a part of the political rise of the MAS and other indigenous factions, Sociología de los Movimientos Sociales en Bolivia (Sociology of Social Movements in Bolivia), which was published in 2005.
in the 2005 presidential elections
. He is an advocate of nationalization of Bolivia's hydrocarbons industry.
In December 2010, Linera's offices created a database of the recent releases from the controversial whistleblowing website WikiLeaks
.
Speeches and articles by Álvaro García Linera
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...
n politician
Politics of Bolivia
The politics of Bolivia takes place in a framework of a presidential representative democratic republic, whereby the president is head of state, head of government and head of a pluriform multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the...
who has been Vice President of Bolivia
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...
since 2006.
Biography
He was born in CochabambaCochabamba
Cochabamba is a city in central Bolivia, located in a valley bearing the same name in the Andes mountain range. It is the capital of the Cochabamba Department and is the fourth largest city in Bolivia with an urban population of 608,276 and a metropolitan population of more than 1,000,000 people...
and graduated from San Agustín High School
Colegio San Agustin
Colegio San Agustin can refer to the following Augustinian schools:In Bolivia:*Colegio San Agustín in CochabambaIn Chile:*Colegio San Agustín in SantiagoIn the Philippines:*Colegio San Agustin - Bacolod in Bacolod City...
. Then, he studied at the National Autonomous University of Mexico
National Autonomous University of Mexico
The Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México is a university in Mexico. UNAM was founded on 22 September 1910 by Justo Sierra as a liberal alternative to the Roman Catholic-sponsored Royal and Pontifical University of Mexico The Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) (National Autonomous...
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...
and became a mathematician
Mathematician
A mathematician is a person whose primary area of study is the field of mathematics. Mathematicians are concerned with quantity, structure, space, and change....
. Returning to his native Bolivia, he attempted to put some of his long-held socialist ideals to practice and joined the Katarist "Ponchos Rojos", a series of experimental, Marxist-inspired native communities in northwestern Bolivia. When this attempt at grass-roots politics failed to come to fruition, García Linera opted for a more radical approach. Alongside Felipe Quispe
Felipe Quispe
Felipe Quispe Huanca "El Mallku" is an ethnic Aymara Bolivian political leader. He heads the Pachakuti Indigenous Movement and has also been general secretary of the United Union Confederation of Working Peasants of Bolivia...
, he organized and worked in the insurgent Tupac Katari Guerrilla Army
Tupac Katari Guerrilla Army
The Tupac Katari Guerrilla Army is an indigenous guerrilla movement in Bolivia. The organization descends directly from the original revolutionaries trained by Che Guevara in the 1960s. Their objective is to fight for social equality in Bolivia and amongst its indigenous population...
. After being caught destroying electrical distribution towers in rural 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...
, he was arrested and charged with insurrection and terrorism.
While imprisoned, he studied sociology. After his release he worked as a university professor, political analyst, and news commentator. He was a well known academic, known for his support of indigenous and left-wing political movements in South America (in spite of his upper-middle class upbringing and the fact that he is of Spanish
Spanish people
The Spanish are citizens of the Kingdom of Spain. Within Spain, there are also a number of vigorous nationalisms and regionalisms, reflecting the country's complex history....
descent). He wrote a monograph about the different political and social organizations that were a part of the political rise of the MAS and other indigenous factions, Sociología de los Movimientos Sociales en Bolivia (Sociology of Social Movements in Bolivia), which was published in 2005.
Political career
Linera was elected vice president as the running mate to Evo MoralesEvo Morales
Juan Evo Morales Ayma , popularly known as Evo , is a Bolivian politician and activist, currently serving as the 80th President of Bolivia, a position that he has held since 2006. He is also the leader of both the Movement for Socialism party and the cocalero trade union...
in the 2005 presidential elections
Bolivian presidential election, 2005
The 2005 Bolivian presidential election was held on December 18, 2005. The two main candidates were Evo Morales of the Movement Towards Socialism Party, and Jorge Quiroga, leader of the Democratic and Social Power Party and former head of the Acción Democrática Nacionalista Party. Felipe Quispe,...
. He is an advocate of nationalization of Bolivia's hydrocarbons industry.
In December 2010, Linera's offices created a database of the recent releases from the controversial whistleblowing website WikiLeaks
Wikileaks
WikiLeaks is an international self-described not-for-profit organisation that publishes submissions of private, secret, and classified media from anonymous news sources, news leaks, and whistleblowers. Its website, launched in 2006 under The Sunshine Press organisation, claimed a database of more...
.
External links
- Radiomate.com Profile: Evo Morales and the New Wave of Democracy in Latin America
- “The MAS is of the Centre-Left” An interview with Álvaro García Linera by Pablo Stefanoni, International View Point, December 2005
- Marxism and Indigenism in Bolivia: A Dialectic of Dialogue and Conflict, Z Net, April 2005
Speeches and articles by Álvaro García Linera