Constitution of Bolivia (2009)

The 2009 charter that refounded Bolivia as a plurinational state with broad recognition of indigenous peoples.

Overview

Approved by referendum in January 2009 and promulgated in February by President Evo Morales, the first indigenous president of the country, the constitution renamed the country the Plurinational State of Bolivia. It recognizes dozens of indigenous languages as official alongside Spanish, establishes indigenous autonomies and community justice systems, and asserts state ownership of natural resources such as hydrocarbons. Judges of the highest courts, including the Plurinational Constitutional Tribunal, are chosen by popular vote. Its limit of two consecutive presidential terms became a flashpoint when voters rejected a change in 2016 and the tribunal later allowed Morales to run again, a ruling that fed the 2019 crisis.