Bolivia's Party System Survived Then Collapsed

Bolivia's political party system was remarkably stable from 1952 to 2002—the same parties and individuals returned after coups, 50,000% inflation, and roughly 15 coups d'etat—yet it suddenly collapsed around 2003, an event popularly but implausibly attributed to a few demonstrations in Cochabamba and La Paz that could not realistically topple a system that survived far larger shocks.