La expansión del Estado boliviano hacia sus territorios periféricos (1853-1904): revisión historiográfica y propuesta para su estudio

Our study suggests that the repeated proposals for the integration of Bolivia’s eastern territories and the Litoral Department between 1853 and 1904 were based on generic or imaginary projections of peripheral geography and resources. These proposals lacked cartographic or scientific backing, and did not establish specific objectives to safeguard fiscal interests. Nor did they consider the material realities and symbolic aspirations of peripheral societies, which included indigenous communities, elites and resident workers. This lack of consideration would explain why, for more than five decades, these initiatives only met with resistance at the territorial extremes, where inhabitants did not perceive the state as providing them with inherent services. The expansion of internal borders proved costly for Bolivia: fiscal support for strategic projects compromised the country’s financial stability and led to territorial claims by neighbouring countries, significantly reducing its surface area.