Relationship dossier
Bolivia
Cuba
Relationship assessment
Bolivia–Cuba ties have included ALBA cooperation and Cuban medical and literacy programs, alongside a rupture during Bolivia’s 2019–2020 political transition.
Bolivia toward Cuba
+35Bolivia has supported UN resolutions calling for an end to the U.S. embargo on Cuba and participated with Cuba in ALBA. Bolivia’s interim government suspended diplomatic relations with Cuba in 2020; relations were subsequently restored under President Luis Arce.
Cuba toward Bolivia
+35Cuba provided medical personnel and literacy-program assistance in Bolivia, including cooperation associated with the Cuban “Yo sí puedo” literacy program. Cuba withdrew its medical mission during the diplomatic rupture under Bolivia’s interim government.
Overall relationship
+30The relationship has had substantive cooperation through ALBA and Cuban medical and educational programs, but its political alignment has not been consistent across Bolivian governments. The 2020 suspension of diplomatic relations marks a significant interruption in an otherwise cooperative pattern.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Bolivia and Cuba have cooperated through the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America (ALBA), Cuban medical and literacy assistance in Bolivia, and Bolivian support for UN resolutions opposing the U.S. embargo on Cuba. Relations have also been politically changeable: Bolivia’s interim government suspended diplomatic relations with Cuba in 2020, before ties were restored under President Luis Arce.
Areas of tension
- Bolivia’s interim government suspended diplomatic relations with Cuba in 2020 amid disputes over Cuban government statements and the presence of Cuban medical personnel.
Key developments
Bolivia joined Cuba in the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America, creating a framework for political and economic cooperation.
Cuba provided medical and literacy-program assistance in Bolivia.
Bolivia’s interim government suspended diplomatic relations with Cuba, and Cuba withdrew its medical mission.
Bolivia and Cuba restored diplomatic relations under President Luis Arce.
Major uncertainties
- The scale and current implementation of bilateral medical and educational cooperation are unclear.
- The durability of cooperation across changes in Bolivia’s government is uncertain.