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54-673: Established in 1821, this regiment is mostly a ceremonial unit, being the escort security regiment of the President of Bolivia . This is the Bolivian Army's most represented unit, having a close connection with the Bolivian people, whatever their race, and has a contribution to national history. The Colorados Regiment contains two infantry battalions; the BI-201 (Protocol Unit) and BI-202 (Security) with their respective headquarters. The headquarters Calama

108-408: A helicopter crash; both deaths are rumored to have been planned assassinations. A further eight former presidents were assassinated in various ways after leaving office. According to Article 169 I of the 2009 Constitution: "In the event of an impediment or definitive absence of the president, he or she shall be replaced by the vice president and, in the absence of the latter, by the president of

162-711: A few were officers. During the War of the Pacific , Bolivia alongside Peru, fought for their respective nations' mining interests against the Chilean forces. Bolivia's contributions to the war included 2 cavalry squadrons, an artillery battery, and three infantry battalions, all equipped with fusils and rifles, among them being the Bolivian Colorados. They formed the Bolivian Army under President Daza's leadership as Commander in Chief. As part of

216-485: A large stronghold that was the keystone of Bolivian defenses along the border with Argentina . Paraguayan forces began to open a new trail in the dry subtropical forests of the Chaco but were discovered by Bolivian aerial reconnaissance. The Paraguayan troops, unaware of having been discovered, were encircled by Bolivian forces who had sneaked up on the path and were waiting for a substantial number of Paraguayan troops to enter

270-498: A new president is chosen. Interim presidents have historically been both constitutional or de facto depending on the legality of their rise to the office. Throughout Bolivian history, there have been six periods of time in 1839, 1841, 1848, 1879–1880, and most recently in 2019 in which there has been no head of state. Seven governments were made up of triumvirates: 1861 , 1899 , 1920–1921 , 1970 , 1978 , 1981 , and 1982 . For one month in 1928, Hernando Siles Reyes ' cabinet ruled

324-518: A number of times, but the name stuck. At the end of 2018, it ceased to function as the headquarters of the government offices, with plans to turn it instead into a museum. Briefly occupied again from 2019 to 2020, it has since returned to being a museum. In 2018, the official residence of the president was moved by President Evo Morales to the Casa Grande del Pueblo , known in English as the "Great House of

378-520: A red long sleeved standing collar tunic with a red small kepi hat, epaulette, sword strap and set (for officers), long khaki-tan trousers and black boots. President of Bolivia The president of Bolivia (Spanish: Presidente de Bolivia ), officially known as the president of the Plurinational State of Bolivia (Spanish: Presidente del Estado Plurinacional de Bolivia ), is head of state and head of government of Bolivia and

432-482: A runoff election. Luis Arce is the 67th and incumbent president of Bolivia. He assumed office on 8 November 2020. On 6 August 1825, the Republic of Bolivia declared its independence and proclaimed Simón Bolívar head of state. While it is certainly true that Bolívar was the official ruler of the country starting from his arrival on 12 August, there exists conflict amongst scholars as to whether he should be considered

486-452: A runoff election. Of the 67 people who have served as President of Bolivia, 13 (19%) died by tragic means, five died in office, and three died by assassination; Pedro Blanco Soto was shot while trying to escape custody, Agustín Morales was shot in self-defense after he attacked one of his military assistants, and Gualberto Villarroel was lynched outside the government palace. Germán Busch committed suicide and René Barrientos died in

540-408: A valid successor. José Miguel de Velasco Franco was initially the acting president in the absence of Andrés de Santa Cruz but became interim president due to the fact Santa Cruz never arrived to be sworn-in, forcing a new president to have to be elected by Congress. In the case of temporary incapacity or absence from the country, the title of Acting President (Spanish: Presidente en ejercicio )

594-405: A vote in a joint legislative session from among the top two candidates (prior to 1995, the top three). This system led to multiple times in which the loser of the popular vote, once even the third place finisher, were elected president. This was replaced by a two-round system in which if no party won more than half of the popular vote in the first electoral round, the top two contenders would run in

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648-498: Is a fluid concept rooted in cultural identity; for instance, many indigenous individuals that have settled in urban areas and abandoned their traditional rural customs have come to identify as mestizo . Two women have served as presidents of the country. Lidia Gueiler Tejada became the first female president of Bolivia (second in the history of the Americas) on 16 November 1979 following a brief coup by Alberto Natusch . Jeanine Añez

702-464: Is a training center in various areas of specialization such as assault, support, protection of people, first aid, etc. There are also bedrooms in the Casa Grande del Pueblo for the soldiers who watch and stand guard at the government palace at night. Since its independence in 1825, Bolivia has been ruled by key figures in the fight for independence, leaders of the War of the Pacific , representatives of

756-472: Is located in the street of the same name, which operates the unit headquarters and recruitment center. The Mirador headquarters in the hill of Quilli Quilli, Pavón Villa area, is a center for training in various areas of specialization such as assault, support, personal protection, first aid, etc. The Regiment was raised in 1821 as the nation, then as part of both the Viceroy of Lima and the then United Provinces of

810-455: Is technically mestizo rather than solely indigenous. Further, former president Enrique Peñaranda was of substantially indigenous origin while Andrés de Santa Cruz, was of Aymara and Inca lineage. Harten asserted that this argument was "misguided[,] wrong[... and] above all irrelevant" because regardless of his genetic makeup, the majority of Bolivians perceive Morales as being the first indigenous president. In Bolivian society, indigeneity

864-404: Is transferred to lower officials according to the order of presidential succession. In September 2012, Senate president Gabriela Montaño became the first woman to assume this office, during the presidency of Evo Morales . José Miguel de Velasco Franco, Mariano Enrique Calvo , and Pedro José Domingo de Guerra were acting presidents for particularly long periods of time of multiple months or, in

918-583: Is used, both manufactured by Dassault Aviation (France) that make up part of the Bolivian Air Force's aircraft. The Presidential Bodyguard is made up of the 1st Bolivian Colorados infantry regiment, which is a military unit of the Bolivian Army whose specific mission is to protect the security and physical integrity of the president of Bolivia and whose charge is the custody of the Palace of Government and

972-628: The 1st Alliance Infantry Battalion , now part of the forces under the new army chief President Narciso Campero . Most of the time however, before the fighting in Tacna, it was always on the reserve, due to the belated formations of infantry battalions. May 26 is Infantry Day in Bolivia in recognition of the Colorados' bravery throughout the whole battle of Tacna, led by regimental commander Colonel Ildefonso Murguia Anze and regimental drummer Juan Pinto. This battle

1026-463: The Chaco War , in which Paraguayan forces were ambushed and defeated by three Bolivian divisions . The engagement is considered the greatest victory of the Bolivian army during the war. The battle actually took place some 60 km southwest of Cañada Strongest, near a dried riverbed called Cañada Esperanza. The battle began as a Paraguayan attempt to outflank and eventually conquer Fort Ballivian,

1080-543: The Chaco War , the Bolivian Colorados, now a full regiment of infantry, fought against the Paraguayan army and came out in triumph, having captured the 3rd Btn., Lomas Valentinas Regiment of the Paraguayan Army. It also took part in other Bolivian actions during the war. As one of the Bolivian Army's missions is for internal security, it is no wonder that the Colorados were involved in anti-guerrilla operations, supported by

1134-524: The Supreme Tribunal of Justice ruled that all elected officials could run for office indefinitely, rather than for the two consecutive terms permitted under the 2009 Constitution. The court justified its decision based on the American Convention on Human Rights ' interpretation of political rights. Prior to 2009, if no candidate won more than half of the popular vote, the president was chosen by

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1188-524: The captain general of the Armed Forces of Bolivia . According to the Bolivian Constitution , the president is elected by popular vote to a five-year term with no limit on the number of terms a president may serve. If no candidate wins a majority (defined as either more than 50%, or alternatively at least 40% and at least 10% more than the second-place candidate), the top two candidates advance to

1242-663: The 1952 National Revolution and founded the Revolutionary Nationalist Movement (MNR) which heavily influenced Bolivian politics in the second half of the 20th century. Evo Morales is described as the first indigenous president of Bolivia in academic studies of his presidency, such as those of Muñoz-Pogossian , Webber, Philip and Panizza, and Farthing and Kohl, as well as in press reports, such as those of BBC News . However, there have been challenges to this claim by critics who have asserted that Morales probably has some European ancestry, and thus on genetic grounds

1296-456: The Armed Forces in 2019. During Hugo Chavez 's visit to Cochabamba on April 22, 2010, the Colorados formed the guard of honor during the arrival ceremonies. When he shouted Patria o Muerte twice, the Colorados didn't respond or say a word. The regiment's other motto is A paso de vencedores, Temblad rotos, que aqui entran los Colorados de Bolivia, Vencer o Morir, carajo! ( To the pace of

1350-532: The Casa Grande, as well as other properties of the presidency. It has two infantry battalions, the BI-201 and BI-202, with their respective barracks, both located in the city of La Paz. The Calama headquarters is located on the street on the same name where the unit's headquarters and the regimental barracks and training depot operate and the Mirador barracks with a seat on the Quilli Quilli hill. The Villa Pavón area

1404-589: The People", replacing the Palacio Quemado as the seat of the Executive Branch of the Plurinational State of Bolivia. Inaugurated on 9 August 2018, the building houses the president as well as various government ministries. In 2019, Interim President Jeanine Áñez refused to use the new building and returned operations to the Palacio Quemado, though the ministries and other government offices continued to operate within

1458-473: The Plurinational State of Bolivia . As such, Evo Morales was the 65th and last President of the Republic and the first President of the State. The Constitution extended the term of the president from four years to five years while keeping the two-term limit. On 21 February 2016, a proposal to abolish term limits failed to pass via constitutional referendum by a margin of 51% to 49%. Despite this, on 28 November 2017,

1512-477: The Political Constitution of 1831. Instead, the president would serve for a four-year term of government with the ability to be reelected unlimitedly. The 2009 Political Constitution , approved by referendum on 25 January 2009 and promulgated by President Evo Morales on 7 February resulted in the official name of the country, leaving behind its previous denominative of Republic of Bolivia to become

1566-643: The Regiment's actions in Tacna were rewarded with all who were in the Regiment in that battle serving under the colors were officially declared as National Heroes of Bolivia. As part of the National Army of Bolivia in 1903 (led by the President of Bolivia Jose Manuel Pando), it fought in the Acre War for Bolivian control of that region. Its second act of bravery to the flag was, when in the Battle of Cañada Strongest during

1620-767: The Rio del Plata, was fighting the Spanish American wars of independence as guerrilla units siding with the Buenos Aires and Lima independent governments then. In 1821, the Colorados Regiment's first references were to a militia unit led by the Upper Peru guerrilla leader, Jose Miguel Lanza, and had among its rosters future national heroes of Bolivia like Jose Ballivian, Mariano Torrelio, and Manuel Deheza, who were fighting for Upper Peru's independence from Spain. Lanza's men led

1674-564: The Sea! ) The arms is round with a picture of a kneeling soldier of the Colorados in full dress uniform in the middle, with a rainbow above him. The new regimental colour guidon (since 2010) has the arms in the center, in the middle of the national colors of the Wiphala , the new colour of the Bolivian Armed Forces, and also has the regiment's foundation date (and the year of the new guidon when it

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1728-518: The Senate , and in his or her absence by the president of the Chamber of Deputies . In this last case, new elections shall be called within a maximum period of 90 days. Historically there have been multiple periods of time during different constitutions in which the office of vice president has been rendered nonexistent and more still in which the office was vacant. Between 26 October 1839 and 15 February 1878,

1782-473: The United States, against the guerrillas led by Che Guevara in 1967 in places like Nancahuazu, Ovelo, El Espino, and many others. Traditionally, Subordinacion y Constancia, ¡Viva Bolivia! ( Subordination and Steadfastness. Long Live Bolivia! ) is the regimental motto, and concurrently that of the Armed Forces of Bolivia , but in 2010 ¡Patria o Muerte, Venceremos! ( Fatherland or Death, we'll triumph! ),

1836-571: The aristocracy, military dictators and democratically elected leaders. Due to the complexities in the rise to power of these individuals, in Bolivia presidents are divided between two groups. The first are what are classified as "Constitucionales" having come to power legally or through quasi-legal means (achieving power through a revolution or coup d'état but later constitutionalised). The rest are known as de facto presidents, having come to power militarily and never constitutionalised. A third category belongs to interim presidents, placed in power only until

1890-451: The case of Enrique Calvo, multiple years. The Palacio Quemado , in English "Burnt Palace," in the legal capital of La Paz was the official residence of the president of Bolivia from 1853 to 2018. Its nickname originates from the fact that it was set aflame and burned almost to the ground when rebels in opposition to Tomás Frías Ametller failed to storm it and instead opted to light it on fire in 1875. It has since been rebuilt and redecorated

1944-467: The combined Bolivian-Peruvian Allied Army, the Bolivian Colorados contributed their hard work to bring victory to the combined armies, at the cost of many lives. The Colorados were in action in some of the great battles of the war, including the Battle of San Francisco (also known as Battle of Dolores ) where the Camarones betrayal happened, and the Battle of Tacna , where it was listed and then renamed as

1998-431: The country being the only time when a constituted government was not presided over by an agent. In 1965, faced with discontent from loyalists of Alfredo Ovando Candía , President René Barrientos established the co-presidency between himself and Ovando on 26 May 1965. This is the only example of two presidents ruling at once in Bolivian history and it lasted until 2 January 1966 when Barrientos resigned to run for president in

2052-475: The first constitutional text prepared by Simón Bolívar, sanctioned by the General Constituent Congress on 6 November 1826 and promulgated by Antonio José de Sucre on 19 November 1826. In this first instance, the presidency constituted a lifetime position with the power to elect and appoint a successor. The lifetime position was repealed during the presidency of Andrés de Santa Cruz who promulgated

2106-405: The first president of the republic. According to the research of the Bolivian historian Isaac Sandoval, in his book "Political development in the social formation of Bolivia" it is affirmed that the first president of Bolivia was not Bolívar, but Antonio José de Sucre . This is due to the fact that Bolívar is never referred to as president in legal documents and was never sworn-in having renounced

2160-476: The heart ". By then, the battalion would begin to be the principal unit of the Bolivian Army, and under the administration of President Hilarion Daza it became the presidential escort and security unit. It would later earn the nickname "Daza's Colorados" for this reason alone. It was then composed of 570 personnel. Most of them were his friends and relatives, all but sometimes members of the Bolivian Army as enlisted personnel and non-commissioned officers while only

2214-595: The new building. The Casa Grande returned to being the residence of the president upon the inauguration of Luis Arce on 8 November 2020. The transportation of the president of Bolivia is the charge of the Bolivian Presidential Air Group , for the transportation of the president at the national short-range level the EC145 helicopter is used, for national and international transportation the Falcon 900EX EASY aircraft

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2268-484: The office of vice president was abolished with the president of the Senate being the first in the line of succession. During this time, Eusebio Guilarte and Tomás Frías Ametller both came to power in their capacity as President of the Council of State. Rather than complete the previous president's term, interim presidents have held office until new elections could be held even if that period of time runs past or cuts short

2322-443: The previous president's term. José María Pérez de Urdininea , Felipe Segundo Guzmán , Carlos Blanco Galindo , Carlos Quintanilla , Néstor Guillén , Tomás Monje , Wálter Guevara , Lidia Gueiler Tejada , Eduardo Rodríguez and most recently Jeanine Áñez all came to power as interim presidents due to the fact the previous president had resigned, been deposed, died, or otherwise left office and new elections had to be held to elect

2376-621: The promulgation of the Political Constitution of 1826. Andrés de Santa Cruz oversaw the unification of Bolivia with Peru to become the Peru-Bolivian Confederation in 1836. His term as Supreme Protector of the Peru–Bolivian Confederation saw the height of the political power of Bolivia on the South American continent though it would ultimately end in failure and the separation of the two states. Manuel Isidoro Belzu

2430-461: The slogan made famous by Ernesto Che Guevara, became the new motto by President Evo Morales , in line with the socialist stance of his government and party. Among the opposition, the change of motto to the socialist one used by him in 1967 during his guerrilla war in the country has been met with criticism, even among former armed forces chiefs. Che brought the motto to Bolivia during his guerrilla campaigns here. However it would be abandoned at large by

2484-407: The title in favor of Sucre on 29 December 1825. Sucre, on the other hand, was president when the country's first Constitution was promulgated on 19 November 1826. Historian and author of the book "Presidents of Bolivia: Between urns and rifles" Carlos Mesa asserts that Bolívar was indeed the first president and that the lack of mention of him with the title is due to the fact the term "president"

2538-404: The upcoming general elections . In 1983, a poll was taken by Última Hora newspaper to determine which seven historical presidents were regarded as most significant. The "winners" were Antonio José de Sucre, Andrés de Santa Cruz, Manuel Isidoro Belzu , Mariano Melgarejo , Aniceto Arce , Ismael Montes , and Víctor Paz Estenssoro . Sucre oversaw the early developments of the country with

2592-573: The victorious, Be shaken, Rotos , for because the Colorados of Bolivia have come, Victory or Death, bastards! ) Presently the motto has been reinstated in the Armed Forces but in the light of the bigger struggle for the recovery of the nation's right for access to the Pacific Ocean, which was lost during the War of the Pacific, is now amended to: Subordinacion y Constancia, ¡Viva Bolivia, hacia el Mar! ( Subordination and Steadfastness. Long Live Bolivia, up to

2646-405: The way for the liberation of northern Upper Peru in 1825-26. It was in 1857 when the Colorados made their appearance as the 39th Line Infantry Battalion "Colorados" under the leadership of then regimental commander Placido Yanez. It was the Bolivian Army's elite infantry unit, and was known then for its extreme discipline. Col. Yanez made the regiment's famous slogan: " The love of the arms enters

2700-521: Was not in common use in legal documents at the time. Mesa points to the Congressional decree of 11 August 1825 which proclaims Bolívar "liberator" granting him "Supreme Executive Power of the Republic." Whatever the case, the position of Simón Bolívar as the first president is the most generally accepted stance. The Political Constitution of 1826, also known as the Bolivarian Constitution, was

2754-471: Was perhaps amongst the most populist Bolivian presidents, attempting to modernize the country through division of wealth. The dictatorship of Mariano Melgarejo saw brutal repression of opposition and Bolivia's indigenous population. Following the War of the Pacific , Aniceto Arce and Ismael Montes would respectivaley become influential leaders in the Conservative and Liberal eras. Víctor Paz Estenssoro led

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2808-451: Was received) in white lettering below the heraldic arms. The regiment's second guidons (for companies) is in red with the standard arms of Bolivian infantry regiments: a Stahlhelm with the national flag (and nowadays a sticker of the Wiphala) on top in the middle of two crossed sabres , with the regiment's title surrounding it, written in white lettering. The dress uniform of the Colorados is

2862-421: Was the second and most recent female president from 12 November 2019 to 8 November 2020. Both women came to power in similar ways, taking office on an interim basis as members of Congress. As of yet, however, no woman has been elected president by popular vote in Bolivian history. Battle of Ca%C3%B1ada Strongest The Battle of Cañada Strongest was a major military action from May 10 to May 25, 1934 during

2916-516: Was where the Colorados shouted their battle cry: Temblad rotos, que aqui entran los Colorados de Bolivia! (Rotos, be shaken, because the Colorados of Bolivia have come!) and formed a gallant defense alongside their Peruvian allies. Every year (except in 2009) the Colorados come back to the place of their glorious exploits to commemorate the Bolivians' gallantry and courage seen in this battle. In 2004, through Law 2922 of President of Bolivia Carlos Mesa,

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