Between-Group Inequalities & Party Rhetoric: Indigenous Politics in Bolivia

Literature on ethnic parties assigns an important role to ethnic elite rhetoric in mobilizing individuals by appealing to group identities and highlighting grievances. However, there is limited knowledge as to what extent such grievances are based on objective inequalities and whether parties adapt their rhetoric when inequalities between groups change over time. In order to address this gap, this paper conducts a comparative case study of party rhetoric during the 2021 subnational elections in Bolivia. I compare communication strategies of the ruling Bolivian party Movimiento al Socialismo (MAS) in two departments where inequalities between indigenous peoples and other ethnic groups vary. By analysing diverse communication material such as manifestos, videos and social media data, I assess how parties appeal to indigenous peoples, portray indigenous agendas and to what extent their communication strategy relies on (factual) between-group inequalities.