Relationship dossier
Bolivia
Spain
Relationship assessment
Long-standing ties combine Spanish development cooperation with periodic disputes over investment and diplomatic conduct.
Bolivia toward Spain
-15Bolivia's 2012 nationalization of the Spanish-controlled TDE electricity company directly affected Spanish commercial interests. In the 2019–2020 dispute over Spanish diplomats' visit to Mexico's embassy in La Paz, Bolivia declared Spanish diplomats persona non grata and required them to leave.
Spain toward Bolivia
+20Spain has provided development cooperation and debt relief to Bolivia, including cancellation of Bolivian debt in 2009. During the 2019–2020 diplomatic dispute over Spanish diplomats' visit to Mexico's embassy in La Paz, Spain responded by declaring Bolivian diplomats persona non grata.
Overall relationship
+15The relationship has durable development and economic links, including Spanish assistance and debt relief, but has also experienced consequential disputes over the nationalization of a Spanish-controlled utility and diplomatic conduct. These features point to a generally cooperative relationship with recurring friction rather than an exceptionally close partnership.
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 Spain maintain a long-running relationship that includes Spanish development cooperation and economic ties, alongside disputes over Spanish-owned assets and diplomatic conduct. Bolivia's 2012 nationalization of the Spanish-controlled TDE electricity company and the 2019–2020 diplomatic incident involving Spanish diplomats at Mexico's embassy in La Paz strained relations. Spain has also provided development assistance and debt relief to Bolivia, supporting an overall cooperative but occasionally contentious relationship.
Areas of tension
- Bolivia's 2012 nationalization of the Spanish-controlled TDE electricity company and related compensation
- The 2019–2020 diplomatic dispute involving Spanish diplomats at Mexico's embassy in La Paz
Key developments
Bolivia nationalized the Spanish-controlled TDE electricity transmission company.
Spain canceled Bolivian debt as part of its development cooperation.
A diplomatic dispute over Spanish diplomats' visit to Mexico's embassy in La Paz led Bolivia and Spain to declare each other's diplomats persona non grata.
Major uncertainties
- The current scope and implementation of bilateral development cooperation are unclear.
- The final resolution and compensation terms following the TDE nationalization are unclear.