Youth participation in El Alto, Bolivia

Abstract

This paper explores a paradox in the participation of disadvantaged youth in El Alto, Bolivia, in local processes and activities: although they are highly organized and active in social and cultural groups, they fail to involve themselves in the local political system. These young people, most of them the children of indigenous Aymara migrants from rural areas, are marginalized within mainstream society (as exemplified by more affluent nearby La Paz), not only by their poverty but also by their cultural identity. They actively organize themselves in a wide range of groups, some of them focused on the arts, some recreational, and some in response to particular issues and campaigns. Many of these groups and activities are characterized by a critical stance, an articulation of young people’s discontent with “the system”. However, despite their legal right to vote and to be elected from the age of 18, they avoid involvement in the political process and the local neighbourhood organizations through which change, in theory, can be effected. This paper identifies the many constraints that contribute to this lack of involvement – including the corruption of local officials, the low level of political education and awareness, and the various regulations that make prosperity a prerequisite for real participation.