Bolivia is ranked as the poorest country in South America. Its history has been marked by political and institutional instability. In the present, the following key issues are crucial to understanding Bolivia: The lynching of president Villarroel in 1946, the Tesis of Pulacayo also in 1946, and the Revolution of 1952. .
On December 20 1943, the Nationalist Revolutionary Movement# led a military coupof and supported Gualberto Villarroel as the president of Bolivia. The most prominent figure of the party was the Minister of Economy, VÃctor Paz Estenssoro and Juan LechÃn, sub-prefect of the city of Catavi. On July 21 1946, there was a another military coup, but now against the government of Villarroel. He was assassinated and lynched in downtown of La Paz.
Villarroel had intentions of fighting US imperialism, but such desire was with the purpose of putting pressure to the US to take advantage for the national economy in order to satisfy the necessities of the Bolivian State, which was in bankruptcy.# His anti-imperialist purpose was reflected upon the mobilization of the working class, which Villarroel used it to defend himself from the feudal-bourgeoisie.# Regardless of Villarroel's intentions, he did not nationalize any branch of the economic industry and the land remained in the hands of the latifundio.# The reform of the social laws barely satisfied the demands of the working class. One of the most important reforms, the Law of Voluntary Retirement, was adopted by the Legislative branch, and the President promulgated himself as "More friends of the poor than the rich ones". He considered this law as opposed to the interests of the owners industry. It was in this sense that the working class organized and stayed on the side of Villarroel. They saw it as a struggle of liberation and their goodwill. However, there was an uprising in the mines of Catavi and Villarroel sent a militarty troop to shoot the workers, which resulted in hundreds of deaths.