Narratives of Change and Resistance: Indigenous Peasant Movements in Bolivia and the Shifting Dynamics of Hegemony and Subjectivity

This paper explores the formation of hegemonies and reconfigurations within indigenous peasant movements in the Bolivian highlands, following the "Process of Change" initiated in 2006 under President Morales and his political party, the MAS-IPSP (Movimiento al Socialismo–Instrumento Político por la Soberanía de los Pueblos). Two decades later, new forms of resistance are emerging. These forms are not always organized through traditional social movements; instead, they are unified by shared narratives of justice and dignity, which are evoked during moments of social crisis, such as the severe economic challenges that have unfolded in recent years. Bolivia's economic balance has shifted negatively as its primary resource, natural gas, has been depleted. The exploitation of natural resources, driven by the preservation of Western welfare, exacerbates local living conditions, intensifies the climate crisis, and atomizes local grassroots organizations.

The Bolivian experience provides a valuable context for examining the aftermath of a successful hegemonic project. Initially, collective subjectivities, once politically marginalized, transitioned into positions of power, shaping a dominant hegemonic process. However, a reconfiguration of positionalities is now emerging, revealing unmet agendas and ongoing marginalization. This paper focuses on the narratives of leaders from social movements such as the Bartolina Sisa Confederation (Bartolinas) and the Unified Syndical Confederation of Rural Workers of Bolivia (CSUTSCB). Their discourses, expressed through protests, mobilizations, and internal debates, were gathered during collaborative research conducted between 2021 and 2024. These movements now face internal divisions, exacerbated by partisan struggles.

The discussion highlights the tensions within Bolivia’s hegemonic project as new counter-hegemonic forces emerge, contesting persistent marginalization and hidden forms of violence, even under a government that claims to represent and include these movements. This paper aims to offer a nuanced understanding of subjectivity formation in relation to emerging power dynamics and the limitations of indigenous discourse in contexts of multiple crises.