Evening star., 1943-12-27
Discusses Turmoil
OF Politics in Bolivia.

OF Politics in Bolivia.
To the Editor of The Star:
The Chaco War tossed Bolivia In the
throes OF internal dissensions and strife.
The country's last great statesman,
Daniel Salamanca. was depoeed by the
just-ousted Penaranda, who was then
generalissimo Of the Bolivian fighting
forces. In 1894, Salamanca decided to
change Penaranda, who had proved
himself disastrously incompetent, and
went to the Chaco. Peneranda, in
state of rage, seized Salamanca and
placed Tejada Sorzano in the presidency.
Subsequently, Salamanca killed him.
self in despair over the conduct of the
military of his country. Shortly after
Tejada sorzano was booted out by Bush,
who placed Gen. Toro in the presidency,
only to take 1t himself by another coup
d'etat a year. later. Bush's contention
was that Toro had been careless and
dissolute.
Bush tried to make good president,
but failed. Like Salamanca, he ended
by killing himself upon becoming con-
vinced of the lack Of patriotism and
honor among those he had called as his
advisers. He was followed in the presi-
dency by Gen. Carlos Quintanilla.
Promising the country return to con-
stitutionality, Quintanilla had suggested
the name of Gen. Bernardino Bilbao for
the presidency. The country readily ac-
cepted this suggestion. Gen. Bilbao cat
the present moment Bolivian Military
Attache in London) had been the out
standing fighter and tactitian in the
Chaco Sober and intelligent, he is per-
haps the only Chaco warrior loved and
respected by all Bolivians.
Now there is an acute regionalism at
La Paz poisoning the minds of Bolivians
and warping all their activities. At the
last moment the people Of La Paz, who
racially constitute peculiarly different
group in Bolivia, notified Quintanilla
that they would not accept Bilbao be-
cause of his birthplace, which was
Potosi. They demanded that the man
to succeed Quintanilla (who was from
Cochabamba) be a native son Of La
Paz, concretely Gen. Penaranda.
To overt strife and revolution, Quin-
tanilla explained later. he submitted to
the demand.
claimed candidate. who had been care
AOlly hCpt III lkIiOIdIlCc Ol IIlc ABOVE,
received an invitation to the presidential
palace, seemingly for conference.
There, in the very presence of Quinta-
nilla, Bilbao was treacherously assaulted
by Penaranda's henchmen, beaten to un-
consciousness, deprived of his uniform
and straitjacketed into q smaller mans
civilian clothes. This done, he was
shipped to africa as as a worthless
bundle in cargo train.
Penaranda was a poor man and the
country looked upon him with contempt.
Much money would be needed to manu-
facture" his presidency. But the prob
lem worried no one. Quintanilla readily
placed at the disposal Of Penaranda
millions in new bills manufactured by
the money printing plant bought from
the United States. With these bills
no better than counterfeit because of
their stination-Penaranda bought
himself some 10000 votes, mainly from
the illiterate Indians Of La Paz.
Upon becoming president, Penaranda
went to Cochabamba, shed repentant
tears at the tomb of President Sala-
manca and said he would give any
thing and everything to bring that great
man back to life. AS no such miracle
occurred, he returned to La Paz, where,
up to the last moment of his regime,
he could not believe his senses that he
was really the president of the coun-
try whose defeat at the hands of the
much weaker and poorer Paraguay was
largely his fault. Never, in the history
of the country, had politics deteriorated
so pitifully!
SOUTH AMERICAN ORSERVER