The Conservative Party (

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: ''Partido Conservador'') was one of two major

political parties A political party is an organization that coordinates candidates to compete in a particular area's elections. It is common for the members of a party to hold similar ideas about politics, and parties may promote specific ideological or p ...

Bolivia Bolivia, officially the Plurinational State of Bolivia, is a landlocked country located in central South America. The country features diverse geography, including vast Amazonian plains, tropical lowlands, mountains, the Gran Chaco Province, w ...

in the late 19th century. The other was the

Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. For example, while the political systems ...

. Between 1884 and 1899, all of the

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were members of the Conservative Party. The Conservative rule of Bolivia started with the presidency of Narciso Campero. One of the Conservative party's main goals was to develop an international rail network. The Conservative party lost control to the liberal party in the Federalist War of 1899.

Establishment and rise

The Conservative Party was founded in 1880 with strong backing from the silver mining oligarchy. Initially, the party faced little opposition and quickly rose to power by promising the mining elite the construction of an international rail network to support their economic interests.

Federalist War

In 1899, tensions between the Conservative and Liberal parties escalated into the Federalist War, a conflict centered on the location of Bolivia's capital. The Conservatives supported Sucre, while the Liberals advocated for La Paz. The Conservatives were backed by the political elite and Chile, whereas the Liberals gained support from the general public, tin mining interests, indigenous communities, and Peru. Led by José Manuel Pando, the Liberals allied with indigenous leader Pablo Zárate Willka and the Aymara people. Together, they defeated the Conservative forces near La Paz, marking the end of Conservative dominance.

Rule

During their time in power, the Conservatives made progress on their promise to build an international rail network. The railroads primarily connected Bolivia's silver mines to Chilean ports, facilitating mineral exports. However, these projects were largely designed to benefit the mining elite and did little to promote broader economic development. Their focus on appeasing special interest groups ultimately limited the long-term impact of their infrastructure initiatives.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Conservative Party (Bolivia) Conservative parties in Bolivia Defunct political parties in Bolivia Political parties with year of establishment missing Political parties with year of disestablishment missing

Establishment and rise

Federalist War

Rule

See also

References