The Effects of Indigenous Political Mobilization on Democratic Attitudes and Institutional Trust: Bolivia and Guatemala Compared

Indigenous peoples in Latin America suffered from discrimination during centuries of Spanish colonialism, and have continued to be disadvantaged after independence as mostly wealthy white (and mestizo) elites hold the reins of power. This long history of marginalization has resulted in alienation from their political systems. The present paper explores whether and how attitudes among indigenous groups are affected by experiences of political (dis)empowerment. We compare the cases of Bolivia, where indigenous groups were mobilized and achieved power under the Movement for Socialism party in 2005, and Guatemala, where the legacy of a brutal civil war continues to constitute a barrier to effective ethnic representation. The analysis focuses on changes in indigenous peoples’ support for democratic principles and trust in institutions. The former is measured by rejection of authoritarian values, specifically the acceptability of military coups and restrictions on regime critics’ civil rights, and the latter by respondents’ confidence in their country’s political system. Utilizing data from the Americas Barometer spanning over a decade, we test the hypotheses that indigenous peoples develop greater faith in democracy and their political system after successful experiences of acquiring national power through the ballot box.