The Bolivian People 67as part of her salary, she would be earning more than an
entry level public school teacher. The shortage of jobs for
college grads has proletarianised many Bolivian professionals.
Militant doctors’ or teachers’ strikes are commonplace.
Work Abroad
In the past, professional graduates would fi nd work abroad, with
the USA as the major absorber. More restrictive immigration laws
in the United States have greatly curtailed the brain drain.Police
In Bolivia, the police department is a path for the most
impoverished and under-educated to acquire a degree
of respect. In exchange for the uniform, policemen must
be willing to accept an obscenely low salary along with
occasional abuse.
A foot patrolman tries to stop a wealthy Bolivian driver
in a Mercedes for a traffi c infraction. The driver shouts an
obscenity, pumps on the gas and speeds away.
Law offi cers are expected to serve the public without
the necessary authority or compensation that should come
with the job. Members of the police department who seek
bribes (called coimas in Bolivia) are often motivated by
desperation more than greed as the average monthly
salary is a mere US$ 80. They are well aware that their
higher-ups accept gratuities in exchange for awarding
procurement contracts.
On 9 April 2000, when the police were called on to
repress massive anti- poverty protests near and in Laz
Paz, 800 elite police mutinied and demanded a pay raise.
Thousands gathered around police headquarters to show
their solidarity.
In February of 2003, as seen in the previous chapter, the
La Paz police, followed by police in a few other cities, rebelled
against a new income tax. The police were supported by
sectors of the population. The military repressed the rebellion,
opening wounds of an ancient rivalry between police and
the military.