The implementation of governmental policy decisions concerning science, technology and innovation (STI) in no situation in Bolivia was given as state policies. There were practical similarities in the governments of the Movement for Socialism (MAS) for 15 years —including the current regime— but they did not carry out long-term policies congruent with their ideological definitions. Two decades before MAS and during the interregnum of Jeanine Áñez, theoretically rational and modernising discourses were outlined following the Western civilisational model of development; but, unfortunately, in practice, there was not minimal consequence with the theory, ratifying the STI rubric —which MAS hypostasised— as the stage for heavy propaganda, ideologisation and convenient provision of conditions for governmental venality and impunity.

Two theoretical paradigms concerning STI

In the last two decades, at least, two theoretical paradigms have crystallised in Bolivia on the vision and, apparently, the management concerning scientific and technological knowledge and innovation.¹ The first is in a large number of texts² and apparently implemented during three consecutive governments of the Movement for Socialism and the current regime; the second paradigm was refloated in the first years of the millennium and was supposed to have been realised, in part, during the interregnum of Jeanine Áñez Chávez.³