Why do people migrate? : internal migration and the pattern of capital accumulation in Bolivia

By the late 1980"s, coca production had mobilized some 120,000 laborers throughout the country, roughly 6% of the workforce. Most of this labor force has operated in the Chapare region of central Bolivia, where over 95% of the country"s coca is produced and whose permanent population, accordingly, has grown from 25,000 in 1967 to 350,000 in 1989. This paper examines the context of labor migration into Chapare and the interventions designed to halt it, such as land settlement programs in other tropical zones. A major theme of the report is that migration is a prominent feature of Bolivian society, reflecting the precarious, short-lasting, and unequal nature of regional development. While international and national attention has focused on Chapare"s population dynamics, it is actually the large cities that have received the most migration in Bolivia. The report concludes that migration is not a self-sustaining solution to regional underdevelopment, and that integrated development of all sectors and regions is the only serious way to deal with it. This will require in particular the creation of economic opportunities in Bolivian cities. Suggested development interventions are presented in conclusion.