This case study analyses current migration dynamics in two regions of Bolivia: Northern Potosí, one of the main areas of outmigration in Bolivia, and the municipality of San Julián in the Department of Santa Cruz, a major destination for internal migrants, some of whom come from Northern Potosí.

The research was qualitative in nature, with specific attention to breadth and accuracy in the information and analysis. The methods used were participative and the research was done in collaboration with the rural and indigenous organisations in the two selected areas: the Federation of Indigenous Ayllus of Northern Potosí (Federación de Ayllus...

The research was qualitative in nature. We selected two different rural contexts for our research: Northern Potosí, one of the main areas of outmigration in Bolivia, and San Julián considered a major destination for internal migrants. Our selection was made on the basis of statistics on migration provided by the National Institute of Statistics (INE).

In each area we paid specific attention to the parameters of breadth and precision of information and analysis so that the data collected could be representative of the population of the region as a whole and valid generalisations may be produced.

As we opted for...

Transhumance and migration have always been important practices in the life of rural Andean communities in Bolivia.

The settlement of South America is the result of the migration and movement of peoples going back thousands of years. The great Andean civilisations (Tiwanaku, Pucara, Moche and Inca), the Spanish and Portuguese colonial states and the republican regimes all used migration as a key instrument in their policies of territorial control. However, power and geopolitics are not the only reasons migration took place. For thousands of years, migration has been an adaptive response to significant changes in the climate, the economy or...

Bolivia covers an area of approximately 1.1 million km² and is situated in the south-western hemisphere,⁸ between the tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world. However, the presence of the Andes mountain range, which crosses the country from North to South, means that the western side of its territory is highly uneven with pronounced elevations and depressions. Altitudes range from more than 6,000 metres above sea level in the extreme west of the country to 100 metres in the eastern lowlands. This gives rise to a diversity of temperature levels. In addition to these characteristics, the country’s distance from the...

The Northern Potosí region is composed of 5 provinces and 13 municipalities and covers an area of approximately 13,600 km². It is in the centre-south of the country, at a tropical to subtropical latitude, but the climate is determined by the eastern branch of the Andes mountain range, with depressions and peaks that vary in altitude from 1,600 to 4,200 metres. Almost all of its hydrological system forms part of the larger Amazon and La Plata river basins. To a lesser extent, its rivers contribute to the Altiplano closed watershed in the Lake Poopó area.

The region’s climate levels are...

The catalyst for migration from Northern Potosí was the break-up of the vertical control of ecological levels, the economic uncertainty caused by the mining enclave and the devastation of the environment. These historical-structural factors are the cause of the region’s impoverishment. The triggers were climate change, with the great drought of 1983-1985, and the (neoliberal) structural adjustment policy.

It may seem curious to explain today’s migration from Northern Potosí by citing events that have been taking place for more than three centuries, but the inefficacy of Republican-era governments has maintained the colonial legacy. As explained before, transhumance between ecological levels...

The process of “colonising” these lands was arduous and difficult. The first settlements took place under the state policy of “directed colonisation.” This system, promoted and assisted by the state through the National Colonisation Institute, included training, transport in trucks, the provision of food until the first harvest, primary health care, donations of tools and title to the plot of land. Despite this support, many were unable to adapt to the new environmental conditions. It is estimated that about 60% of the colonists abandoned the project in their first year.

Most of the first colonists were Quechuas from the departments...

Although the concept of “public policy” is still controversial (see following paragraph), it is usually defined as continuous and progressive action taken by the state with the aim of addressing issues and solving problems related to the provision, distribution and redistribution of “public goods” and resources. Public policies are prioritised on a public agenda, developed in a collaborative or participatory interaction between the state and society, with the aim of bringing about changes or improvements in the short, medium and long term.

The art of public policy is in building the “space” for state-society deliberation, dialogue and negotiation, also known...

As will have become clear from the above brief description and analysis of migration processes, both in Northern Potosí and in San Julián, migration is a complex issue, the causes of which cannot be generalised and depend on local realities.

In the case of Northern Potosí, migration is the result of a lengthy process of impoverishment. The rupture of the local tradition of farming on discontinuous ecological levels and the fragmentation of indigenous territories, due to the presence of large landed estates and the imposition of political-administrative divisions by the state, marked the start of a process that weakened the...