last election for 4-year terms)

Political parties and leaders:

Free Bolivia Movement or MBL [Franz BARRIOS]; Movement Toward
Socialism or MAS [Juan Evo MORALES Ayma]; Movement Without Fear or
MSM [Juan DEL GRANADO]; National Revolutionary Movement or MNR
[Mirta QUEVEDO]; National Unity [Samuel DORIA MEDINA Arana]; Poder
Democratico Nacional or PODEMOS [Jorge Fernando QUIROGA Ramirez];
Social Alliance [Rene JOAQUINO]

Political pressure groups and leaders:

Sole Confederation of Campesino Workers of Bolivia or CSUTCB
other: Cocalero groups; indigenous organizations; labor unions

International organization participation:

CAN, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC,
IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent),
ITSO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur (associate), MIGA, MINURCAT,
MINUSTAH, MONUC, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNASUR,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI,
UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Erika DUENAS
chancery: 3014 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 483-4410
FAX: [1] (202) 328-3712
consulate(s) general: Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York,
Oklahoma City, San Francisco, Seattle, Washington, DC

Diplomatic representation from the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Krishna URS
embassy: Avenida Arce 2780, Casilla 425, La Paz
mailing address: P. O. Box 425, La Paz; APO AA 34032
telephone: [591] (2) 216-8000
FAX: [591] (2) 216-8111

Flag description:

three equal horizontal bands of red (top), yellow, and green with
the coat of arms centered on the yellow band
note: similar to the flag of Ghana, which has a large black
five-pointed star centered in the yellow band

Economy
Bolivia

Economy - overview:

Bolivia is one of the poorest and least developed countries in Latin
America. Following a disastrous economic crisis during the early
1980s, reforms spurred private investment, stimulated economic
growth, and cut poverty rates in the 1990s. The period 2003-05 was
characterized by political instability, racial tensions, and violent
protests against plans - subsequently abandoned - to export
Bolivia's newly discovered natural gas reserves to large northern
hemisphere markets. In 2005, the government passed a controversial
hydrocar