«Transitional Justice

Mayorga Study Questions

1. What is the main challenge the newly democratic government in Bolivia faces in bringing about the prosecutions?
2. Who opposes the prosecutions?
3. How strong is this opposition?
4. Is there something about the transition that leads the new government to think maybe they can get away with the trials? What happens after that?
5. Are there institutional obstacles as well as political obstacles to an effective prosecution?
6. Why does this author say it is important to take the judicial route to accountability?
7. What is the final outcome of the process in terms of:
1. Justice (understood primarily as punishing violators)
2. Truth (generating and disseminating information)
3. Reparations (have victims or their relatives been compensated?)
4. Purging the security forces of the worst offenders
8. On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate Bolivia's success in punishing the violations of the previous regime?