Bolivia has undergone significant social and economic transformations since Evo Morales became President in 2006. A marked reduction in poverty levels has been a distinctive feature of Bolivian society becoming, in many respects, less unequal. The latest data from the national statistics institute (INE) suggests that poverty has been reduced from 59.9% of the population in 2006, to 36.5% in 2017. The first section of this article gives an overview of the policies which have contributed to poverty reduction. The second section examines the expansion of the middle-income segment, which has resulted in a growing focus on Bolivia’s ‘new middle class’. The last section explores the significance of these social transformations in relation to shifts in political discourse regarding the upcoming 2019 general elections.End of preview - This article contains approximately 1736 words.
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