Non-Governmental Organizations and Poverty Alleviation in Bolivia

Abstract

During the 1980s and early 1990s, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) proliferated throughout Latin America and their role as planners and implementers of development projects grew dramatically. The economic crisis affecting Latin American governments is one factor that has contributed to the expansion of NGOs. Political and institutional changes associated with major modifications of state policies have also opened new spaces for NGOs as alternatives to state agencies in efforts to alleviate poverty and promote development. The authoritarianism that characterized the 1970s and the installation of formally democratic governments in the 1980s have both contributed to the expansion of NGOs, as have the imposition of structural adjustment programs followed by the consolidation of neoliberal economic policies, sponsored by the IMF, the multilateral development banks, and major bilateral donors.