The Radical Party (

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: ** Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Ca ...

: ''Partido Radical'', PR) was founded in 1913, following a split in 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. __TOC__ Active liberal parties This is a l ...

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. The "Radical Generation" of the

was made up of progressive young liberals. They were a kind of liberal left who hoped that through their criticisms the ruling Party could be persuaded to rectify its errors. The history of the Radical Party is, above all, the history of the newspaper campaigns inspired by Franz Tamayo Solares. In 1913 the workers engaged in bitter opposition to the liberal Federación Obrera de

La Paz La Paz (), officially known as Nuestra Señora de La Paz (Spanish pronunciation: ), is the seat of government of the Plurinational State of Bolivia. With an estimated 816,044 residents as of 2020, La Paz is the third-most populous city in Bo ...

joined up with these young Radical politicians in rebellion against the President

Ismael Montes Gamboa Ismael Montes Gamboa (5 October 1861 – 16 October 1933) was a Bolivian general and political figure who served as the 26th president of Bolivia twice nonconsecutively from 1904 to 1909 and from 1913 to 1917. During his first term, the ...

. This alliance resulted in the formation of the Radical Party, inspired by Franz Tamayo Solares, Felipe Segundo Guzmán and

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. In the Congressional election campaign of May 1916 the Radical Party proposed

and Franz Tamayo Solares as its candidates. The Radicals were persistent in their efforts to portray themselves as the defenders of the workers. Felipe Segundo Guzmán claimed that the Party bears a resemblance to the socialist movement, sharing ideas aimed at protecting labour and defending it against the tyranny of capitalism. Even at its peak the Radicals was never a major electoral force in the country. Lacking a strong popular base, political imagination and prominent personalities, the Partido Radical was incapable of really threatening Liberal predominance. The aggressive personality of Franz Tamayo, who originally entered parliament as a Liberal, was the Radical's only asset. The vacillations and its internal contradictions contributed to the eventual disappearance of the Radical Party. In their search for political ways of improving their socio-economic situation the workers turned not only to the Radicals but also to the new Republican Party, which had also broken away from the Liberals. After the revolution of 1920 Radicals split into three factions. Franz Tamayo Solares and his followers dissolved into the Republican Party.

and his followers returned to the

. A minor group continuing as the Radical Party. For the 1940 general elections Radicals allied with the conservative Concordance and elected the one deputy of the new National Congress (

Claudio Zuazo Claudio is an Italian and Spanish first name. In Portuguese it is accented Cláudio. In Catalan and Occitan it is Claudi, while in Romanian it is Claudiu. Origin and history Claudius was the name of an eminent Roman gens, the most important me ...

). Bustillos Vera, Jonny and Peñaranda Barrios, Carlos. Hechos y registros de la Revolución Nacional (1939-1946). La Paz, Bolivia: La Palabra, 1996. Pp.54-55. After the revolution of 1943 the Radical Party disappeared.

Notes

{{Reflist Defunct political parties in Bolivia Liberal parties in Bolivia Political parties established in 1913 Radical parties 1913 establishments in Bolivia