Human Rights and Freedom in Bolivia

http://www.humantruth.info/bolivia_human_rights_and_freedom.html

By Vexen Crabtree 2018

#Bolivia #equality #freedom #human_rights #politics #tolerance

Bolivia Republic of Bolivia [Country Profile Page]
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	79th best
Location	South America, The Americas
Population	11.4m₁
Life Expectancy	63.63yrs (2017)₂

Bolivia does relatively well in ensuring human rights and freedom, compared to many other countries. Bolivia comes in the best 20 in terms of freethought₃ (one of the lowest in The Americas) and in its nominal commitment to Human Rights₄. It does better than average when it comes to LGBT equality₅, the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators)₆ (but high for The Americas), speed of uptake of HR treaties₇, its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice₈, commentary in Human Rights Watch reports₉ (but amongst the worst in The Americas) and in supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms₁₀. Bolivia does not succeed in everything, however. Bolivia does worse than average for opposing gender inequality₁₁ and in supporting press freedom₁₂. In 2008 almost a million children (as young as 10) were in work, and recent laws (in 2014) have encouraged this₁₃. "President Evo Morales has created a hostile environment for human rights defenders"₁₄ and "impunity for violent crime and human rights violations remains a serious problem in Bolivia"₁₄. The justice system has serious problems with corruption and lack of process₁₄. Despite a secular Constitution, the Catholic Church is powerful and uses its influence over politicians to undermine equality and stop non-discrimination laws₁₅. LGBT folk cannot marry nor engage in civil unions₁₃. Women and girls face gender-based violence and unnecessary barriers to family planning services₁₆.

1. Bolivia's Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#equality #gender_equality #human_rights #morals #politics #prejudice #tolerance

Compared to The Americas (2020)₁₇
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₇
1	Canada	21.2
2	Uruguay	26.7
3	Costa Rica	36.7
4	Chile	40.1
5	Argentina	43.8
6	USA	47.4
7	Brazil	52.3
8	Bolivia	53.8
9	Peru	54.0
10	Mexico	56.6
11	Ecuador	58.1
12	Panama	59.9
13	Guatemala	63.0
	The Americas Avg	74.2
q=35.

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2020)₁₇
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₇
1	Sweden	9.2
2	Norway	14.7
3	Denmark	14.7
	...
40	Hungary	52.6
41	Latvia	52.6
42	Lithuania	53.2
43	Bolivia	53.8
44	Peru	54.0
45	Kosovo	54.2
46	S. Africa	56.3
47	Mexico	56.6
	World Avg	87.7
q=199.

The best countries in the world at ensuring human rights, fostering equality and promoting tolerance, are Sweden, Norway and Denmark₁₈. These countries are displaying the best traits that humanity has to offer. The worst countries are The Solomon Islands, Somalia and Tuvalu₁₈.

The data sets used to calculate points for each country are statistics on commentary in Human Rights Watch reports, its nominal commitment to Human Rights, speed of uptake of HR treaties, supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms, supporting press freedom, eliminating modern slavery, opposing gender inequality, the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators), the year from which women could participate in democracy, its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice, LGBT equality and freethought. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe₁₈, whereas the worst are Melanesia, Micronesia and Australasia₁₈.

For more, see:

"Which are the Best Countries for Human Rights, Equality and Tolerance?" by Vexen Crabtree (2020).

Amnesty International's 2023-23 summary on human rights in Bolivia stated:

“The government signed a reparations agreement with victims of the former military regime. The judiciary continued to lack full independence. Threats and attacks against human rights defenders continued. Law enforcement officials violently repressed, and in some cases arbitrarily detained, coca leaf producers who were protesting. Deforestation and mercury contamination particularly affected Indigenous peoples.”
"The State of the World's Human Rights 2022/23" by Amnesty International (2023)₁₉

“Impunity for violent crime and human rights violations remains a serious problem in Bolivia [and] has led to mob attacks, or lynchings, of alleged criminals. [...] The administration of President Evo Morales has created a hostile environment for human rights defenders that undermines their ability to work independently. Despite recent legal reforms, extensive use of pretrial detention-combined with trial delays-undermine defendants' rights and contribute to prison overcrowding. Threats to judicial independence, violence against women, and child labor are other major concerns. [...] The Bolivian justice system [has] been plagued by corruption, delays, and political interference for years [and] around 68 percent of inmates in Bolivian prisons have not been convicted of a crime.”
"World Report 2018" by Human Rights Watch (2018)₁₄

2. Human Rights & Tolerance Data Sets

2.1. Human Rights Watch Comments

#human_rights

Human Rights Watch Comments Higher is better₉
Pos.		2017 Score₉
1	UK	9
2	France	9
3	Germany	9
	...
65	Tanzania	-3
66	Ecuador	-3
67	Colombia	-3
68	Bolivia	-3
69	Kenya	-4
70	Philippines	-4
71	Nigeria	-4
72	Vietnam	-4
	The Americas Avg	-0.8
	World Avg	-1.9
q=123.

Human Rights Watch comments concentrate mostly on negative issues, however, they also make positive comments for those countries that engage in human rights defence around the world, or who make improvements at home. By adding up positive and negative comments (including double-points for negatives that involve large scales and crimes against humanity), the Social and Moral Index turns HRW commentary into quantified values. Some countries may be unfairly penalized because HRW have not examined them, and, some countries "get away" with abuses if they manage to hide it, or if it goes unnoticed - a negative point has been given for those countries in which HRW specifically state that access to investigators has been barred. The points were limited to a minimum of -10 because there are some points at which things are so bad, with abuses affecting so many, it is difficult to be more specific about the depths of the issues.

2.2. Nominal Commitment to HR

#human_rights

Nominal Commitment to HR Higher is better₄
Pos.		2009 Treaties₄
1	Argentina	24
2	Chile	23
3	Costa Rica	23
	...
22	Mali	21
23	Azerbaijan	21
24	Bosnia & Herzegovina	21
25	Bolivia	21
26	Australia	21
27	France	21
28	Senegal	21
29	Hungary	20
	The Americas Avg	16.5
	World Avg	15.1
q=194.

There are many international agreements on human rights, and, many mechanisms by which countries can be brought to account for their actions. Together, these have been the biggest historical movement in the fight against oppression and inhumanity. Or, putting it another way: these are rejected mostly by those who wish to oppress inhumanely. None of them are perfect and many people object to various components and wordings, but, no-one has come up with, and enforced, better methods of controlling the occasional desires that states and peoples have of causing angst for other states and peoples in a violent, unjust or inhumane way. Points are awarded for the number of human rights agreements ratified by the country, plus the acceptance of the petition mechanisms for disputes. The maximum possible score in 2009 was 24.

2.3. HR Treaties Lag

#human_rights #international_law #micronesia #politics #small_islands

HR Treaties Lag Lower is better₇
Pos.		2019 Avg Yrs/Treaty₇
1	Ecuador	2.15
2	Uruguay	2.25
3	Tunisia	3.65
	...
38	Russia	6.58
39	UK	6.62
40	Portugal	6.69
41	Bolivia	6.70
42	El Salvador	6.80
43	Rwanda	6.83
44	Sri Lanka	6.91
45	Syria	7.02
	The Americas Avg	8.45
	World Avg	10.02
q=195.

Human Rights (HR) Treaties Lag is a count of how long it took each country to sign each of 11 key HR treaties. From the date of the first signatory of each treaty, all other countries have one point added to their score for each day they delayed in signing. Results are presented as average time in years to sign each one. The lower a country's score, the more enthusiastically it has taken on international Human Rights Treaties - which are, of course, minimal standards of good governance. The slowest are the countries of Micronesia, Melanesia, Australasia and Polynesia all lagged by over 12 years per treaty. The best regions are The Americas, Scandinavia and the Mediterranean.

For more, see:

"Which are the Best Countries for Human Rights, Equality and Tolerance?" by Vexen Crabtree (2020).

2.4. Personal, Civil & Economic Freedom

#freedom #politics

Personal, Civil & Economic Freedom Lower is better₁₀
Pos.		2014 Rank₁₀
1	Hong Kong	1
2	Switzerland	2
3	New Zealand	3
	...
68	Guatemala	68
69	Moldova	69
70	Namibia	69
71	Bolivia	71
72	Indonesia	72
73	Turkey	73
74	S. Africa	74
75	Papua New Guinea	74
	The Americas Avg	72.4
	World Avg	79.7
q=159.

The Human Freedom Index published by the Fraser Institute is...

“... a broad measure of human freedom, understood as the absence of coercive constraint. It uses 79 distinct indicators of personal and economic freedom in the following areas: Rule of Law, Security and Safety, Movement, Religion, Association, Assembly, and Civil Society, Expression, Relationships, Size of Government, Legal System and Property Rights, Access to Sound Money, Freedom to Trade Internationally, Regulation of Credit, Labor, and Business. [...]
The highest levels of freedom are in Western Europe, Northern Europe, and North America (Canada and the United States. The lowest levels are in the Middle East and North Africa, South Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa. [...]
Countries in the top quartile of freedom enjoy a significant higher per capita income ($37,147) [compared with] the least-free quartile [at] $8,700). The HFI finds a strong correlation between human freedom and democracy.”
"The Human Freedom Index" by The Fraser Institute (2016)₂₀

2.5. Press Freedom

#democracy #freedom #Freedom_of_Speech #Good_Governance #mass_media #politics #UK

Press Freedom Lower is better₁₂
Pos.		2013₁₂
1	Finland	638
2	Netherlands	648
3	Norway	652
	...
105	Kyrgyzstan	3220
106	Fiji	3269
107	Brazil	3275
108	Bolivia	3280
109	Qatar	3286
110	Panama	3295
111	Montenegro	3297
112	Israel	3297
	The Americas Avg	2853
	World Avg	3249
q=178.

The freedom to investigate, publish information, and have access to others' opinion is a fundamental part of today's information-driven world, and is linked with Freedom of Speech and Good Governance. Scores on the Press Freedom Index are calculated according to indicators including pluralism - the degree to which opinions are represented in the media, media independence of authorities, self-censorship, legislation, transparency and the infrastructure that supports news and information, and, the level of violence against journalists which includes lengths of imprisonments. The index "does not take direct account of the kind of political system but it is clear that democracies provide better protection for the freedom to produce and circulate accurate news and information than countries where human rights are flouted". The rankings are used as one of the datasets of the Social and Moral Development Index₂₁

It must be noted that press freedom is not an indicator of press quality and the press itself can be abusive; the UK suffers in particular from a popular brand of nasty reporting that infuses several of its newspapers who are particularly prone to running destructive and often untrue campaigns against victims. The Press Freedom Index notes that "the index should in no way be taken as an indicator of the quality of the media in the countries concerned".

2.6. Slavery

#burundi #eritrea #france #human_rights #indonesia #slavery

Slavery Lower is better₂₂
Pos.		2018 % Victims₂₂
1	Japan	0.03
2	Canada	0.05
3	Taiwan	0.05
	...
32	Germany	0.20
33	Belgium	0.20
34	France	0.20
35	Bolivia	0.21
36	Iceland	0.21
37	Oman	0.21
38	Panama	0.21
39	Sri Lanka	0.21
	The Americas Avg	0.25
	World Avg	0.65
q=167.

The taking of slaves has been an unwholesome feature of Human cultures since prehistory₂₃. Private households and national endeavours have frequently been augmented with the use of slaves. The Egyptian and Roman empires both thrived on them for both purposes. Aside from labourers they are often abused sexually by their owners and their owners' friends₂₄. The era of colonialism and the beginnings of globalisation changed nothing: the imprisonment and forced movements of labour continued to destroy many lives except that new justifications were invented based on Christian doctrine and the effort to convert non-Christians. By 1786 over 12 million slaves had been extracted from Africa and sent to colonial labour camps, with a truly atrocious condition of life₂₅. But they were not the only ones to blame; in Africa internal nations such as the Asantes sold and bought tens of thousands of slaves₂₆.

The abolition of the slave trade was a long and slow process. Until a relatively modern time, even philosophers, religious leaders and those concerned with ethics justified, or ignored, the problem of slavery₂₇. The first abolitionists were always the slaves themselves. Their protests and rebellions caused the industry to become too expensive to continue. After that, it was the economic costs of maintain slave colonies that led the British to reject and then oppose the slave trade globally. Finally, the enlightenment-era thinkers of France encouraged moral and ethical thinking including the declaration of the inherent value of human life and human dignity₂₈. A long-overdue wave of compassionate and conscientious movements swept across the West, eliminating public support for slavery, until the industries and churches that supported it had no choice but to back down.

'Modern slavery' includes forced labour (often of the under-age), debt bondage (especially generational), sexual slavery, chattel slavery and other forms of abuse, some of which can be surprisingly difficult to detect, but often target those fleeing from warzones and the vulnerable.₂₉. Some industries (diamond, clothing, coal) from some countries (Burundi₃₀, Eritrea₃₀, Indonesia₃₁) are a particular concern. The Walk Free Foundation, say that in 2016, 40.3 million people were living in modern slavery₃₂.

For more, see:

"The Historical Slave Trade and Modern Slavery" by Vexen Crabtree (2018).

“In 2014, the Plurinational Assembly adopted legislation allowing children as young as 10 to work in activities that are not deemed "dangerous" or "unhealthy." The law contravenes international standards and makes Bolivia the first country in the world to legalize employment at such a young age. [...] The latest national census on child labor, from 2008, indicated that some 850,000 children under 17 were working in Bolivia.”
"World Report 2018" by Human Rights Watch (2018)₁₃

3. Gender Equality Data Sets

The 1950s saw a late rush of 43 countries, including Bolivia and many developing nations, move to cease preventing women from voting. Bolivia has made some steps towards ending gender inequality but much more needs to be done.

See:

“Women and girls in Bolivia remain at high risk of gender-based violence. [...] Women and girls face numerous obstacles to accessing reproductive health products, contraceptives, and services.”
"World Report 2018" by Human Rights Watch (2018)₁₆

3.1. Gender Inequality

#gender #gender_equality #human_rights #misogyny #women

Gender Inequality Lower is better₁₁
Pos.		2015₁₁
1	Switzerland	0.04
2	Denmark	0.04
3	Netherlands	0.04
	...
95	Botswana	0.44
96	Philippines	0.44
97	Samoa	0.44
98	Bolivia	0.45
99	Suriname	0.45
100	Panama	0.46
101	Honduras	0.46
102	Venezuela	0.46
	The Americas Avg	0.39
	World Avg	0.36
q=159.

The UN Human Development Reports include statistics on gender equality which take into account things like maternal mortality, access to political power (seats in parliament) and differences between male and female education rates. Gender inequality is not a necessary part of early human development. Although a separation of roles is almost universal due to different strengths between the genders, this does not have to mean that women are subdued, and, such patriarchalism is not universal in ancient history. Those cultures and peoples who shed, or never developed, the idea that mankind ought to dominate womankind, are better cultures and peoples than those who, even today, cling violently to those mores.

For more, see:

"Gender Equality" by Vexen Crabtree (2023).

3.2. Gender Biases

#gender #gender_equality #prejudice #women

Gender Biases Lower is better₆
Pos.		2022 %₆
1	Sweden	31.8₃₃
2	New Zealand	34.4₃₄
3	Australia	37.0₃₄
	...
38	Belarus	90.4₃₃
39	Moldova	90.7₃₅
40	Colombia	91.2₃₄
41	Bolivia	91.3₃₄
42	Russia	91.4₃₄
43	Turkey	91.6₃₄
44	China	91.8₃₄
45	Armenia	92.1₃₄
	The Americas Avg	82.90
	World Avg	83.93
q=88.

The Gender Social Norms Index (GSNI) looks at gender biases across seven criteria; the % given here is for the total people who are biased across any of those criteria. By subtracting the value from 100%, you can see that those who do well on this index, you are seeing a count of those who do not appear to be biased against women in any of the criteria, and so, doing well on this index is a very positive sign for any country.

The data was included in UN (2022) with full results in Annex table AS6.7.1; their data stems for ranges between 2005 and 2022, depending on the country in question.

3.3. Year Women Can Vote

#christianity #gender_equality #human_rights #politics #women

Year Women Can Vote Lower is better
Pos.		0 Year
1	New Zealand	1893
2	Australia	1902
3	Finland	1906
	...
88	Dominica	1951
89	St Kitts & Nevis	1951
90	St Vincent & Grenadines	1951
91	Bolivia	1952
92	Ivory Coast	1952
93	Greece	1952
94	Lebanon	1952
95	Guyana	1953
	The Americas Avg	1947
	World Avg	1930
q=189.

Women now have equal rights in the vast majority of countries across the world. Although academic literature oftens talks of when a country "grants women the right to vote", this enforces a backwards way of thinking. Women always had the right to vote, however, they were frequently denied that right. The opposition to women's ability to vote in equality with man was most consistently and powerfully opposed by the Catholic Church, other Christian organisations, Islamic authorities and some other religious and secular traditionalists.

For more, see:

"Gender Equality" by Vexen Crabtree (2023).

4. Prejudice Data Sets

4.1. Anti-Semite Opinions

#antisemitism #christianity #germany #indonesia #israel #jordan #judaism #laos #morocco #netherlands #pakistan #philippines #religion #religious_violence #saudi_arabia #spain #sweden #turkey #UK #vietnam

Anti-Semite Opinions Lower is better₈
Pos.		2014 %₈
1	Laos	0
2	Philippines	3
3	Sweden	4
	...
45	Venezuela	30
46	Moldova	30
47	Russia	30
48	Bolivia	30
49	Georgia	32
50	Kazakhstan	32
51	Bangladesh	32
52	Bosnia & Herzegovina	32
	The Americas Avg	29.7
	World Avg	36.8
q=101.

Anti-Semitism is the world given to irrational racism against Jews. It is not the same as anti-Judaism (involving arguments against the religion) nor the same as anti-Zionism (arguments against Israel). In history, influential Christian theologians concocted the arguments against Jews that led, very early on, to widespread Christian action against Jews₃₆_,₃₇_,₃₈_,₃₉. As Christianity rose to power in the West and presided over the Dark Ages, there were widespread violent outbursts against Jews of the most persistent and horrible kind. The Crusades were frequently aimed at them and the feared Spanish Inquisition paid Jews particular attention. The horror of the holocaust instigated by German Nazis in the 1940s was followed (finally) by the era of European human rights and a movement against racism in general.

The places that are the least anti-Semitical are a few countries of south-east Asia (Laos, the Philippines and Vietnam) and some of the secular liberal democracies of Europe (Sweden, the Netherlands and the UK). The worst countries for antisemitism are Islamic states of the Middle East₄₀, which are undergoing their own Dark Age. Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Morocco, Indonesia, Pakistan and Turkey see the most oppressive and violent actions towards Jews₄₁_,₄₂. Jews in Muslim countries face a host of restrictions and "ceaseless humiliation and regular pogroms"₄₃. In 2004 the European Union Monitoring Center on Racism and Xenophobia reported on violent anti-Jew crimes in the EU and found that that largest group of perpetrators were young Muslim males₄₄.

For more, see:

"Anti-Semitism" by Vexen Crabtree (2017).

4.2. LGBT Equality

#equality #homosexuality #human_rights #intolerance #sexuality #tolerance

LGBT folk in Bolivia face legal inequality, and cannot marry nor engage in civil unions₁₃.

“Bolivia´s Constitution and laws are progressive on the subject of LGBTI+ rights. Article 14 bans discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. Article 58 recognizes the right of children to express themselves in a gender identity of their choice as a right "inherent to their development". In 2016, a Gender Identity Law was approved allowing transgender individuals to change their gender on official documents, and in 2019 Bolivia´s legislature made further progress by passing a law that criminalized hate crimes on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.
Despite these legal gains, Bolivia remains a relatively conservative country and the public has been resistant to the idea of full marriage equality. The Constitution limits marriage to between a man and a woman. In December 2020, after a two year legal battle, a court in La Paz granted two men the right to register a civil union, which activists hope will set a precedent for other LGBTI+ couples to access recognition.”
"The Freedom of Thought Report" by Humanists International (2021)₁₅

LGBT Equality Higher is better₅
Pos.		2017 Score₅
1	Netherlands	103
2	Belgium	90
3	Sweden	86
	...
29	Israel	48
30	Estonia	45
31	Honduras	45
32	Bolivia	45
33	Croatia	45
34	Slovenia	45
35	Germany	44
36	USA	44
	The Americas Avg	26.1
	World Avg	12.6
q=196.

Discrimination against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) folk is rife across the world. Legal restrictions co-exist alongside social stigmatisation and physical violence₄₅. LGBT tolerance and equal rights have been fought for country-by-country across the world, often against tightly entrenched cultural and religious opposition. Adult consensual sexual activity is a Human Right, protected by privacy laws₄₆. Despite this, homosexual activity is outlawed in around 80 countries₄₅. The Social & Moral LGBT Equality Index was created to compare countries and regions, granting points to each country for a variety of factors including how long gay sex has been criminalized and the extent of LGBT legal rights. Graded negative points are given for criminality of homosexuality, unequal ages of consent, legal punishments and for not signing international accords on LGBT tolerance. The signs in many developed countries are positive, and things are gradually improving. Europe is by far the least prejudiced region (Scandinavia in particular being exemplary). The Middle East and then Africa are the least morally developed, where cultural bias goes hand-in-hand with state intolerance, all too often including physical violence.

For more, see:

"LGBT Rights Across the World: Which are the Best and Worst Countries?" by Vexen Crabtree (2017).

4.3. Freedom of Thought

#europe #freedom_of_belief #freethought #human_rights #netherlands #religion #religious_tolerance #secularism #the_enlightenment

Freedom of Thought Lower is better₃
Pos.		2021₃
1	Belgium	1.0
2	Netherlands	1.0
3	Taiwan	1.0
4	Sao Tome & Principe	1.3
5	Ecuador	1.3
6	France	1.3
7	Bolivia	1.3
8	Nauru	1.3
9	Iceland	1.5
10	Congo, (Brazzaville)	1.5
11	Sweden	1.5
12	Norway	1.5
	The Americas Avg	2.7
	World Avg	3.0
q=196.

Freedom of Religion and Freedom of Belief are upheld in Article 18 the United Nation's Universal Declaration of Human Rights₄₇. It affirms that it is a basic human right that all people are free to change their beliefs and religion as they wish₄₈. No countries voted against this (although eight abstained). This right was first recognized clearly in the policies of religious toleration of the Netherlands and elsewhere in Europe in the post-enlightenment era₄₉ of the 19th century. In democratic countries, freedom of belief and religion is now taken for granted₅₀. In 2016 a study found that over 180 countries in the world had come to guarantee freedom of religion and belief₅₁. The best countries at doing so are Taiwan, Belgium and The Netherlands₃_,₅₂ and the worst: Afghanistan, N. Korea, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia₃_,₅₃.

Long-term studies have shown that religious violence and persecution both decrease in cultures where religious freedom is guaranteed₅₄. Despite this, there still are many who are strongly against freedom of belief₄₈, including entire cultures and many individual communities of religious believers. Their alternative is that you are not free to believe what you want and they often state that you cannot change religion without being punished (often including the death penalty): this is bemoaned as one of the most dangerous elements of religion₅₅ and "the denial of religious freedoms is inevitably intertwined with the denial of other freedoms"₅₆ and the solution is, everywhere, to allow religious freedom and the freedom of belief.

For more, see:

"Freethought - Freedom of Belief and Freedom of Religion" by Vexen Crabtree (2022).

Although in 2009 Bolivia's new Constitution declared the state to be secular - free from official endorsement of any particular religion - the Catholic Church nevertheless still influences a lot of influence over Bolivian politics, working hard to undermine equality and non-discrimination laws₁₅.