Sofia Herbas Loureiro
UNDERSTANDING INTERNAL COLONIALISM THROUGH URBANIZATION THE CASE OF LA PAZ-EL ALTO.
Rel. Marco Santangelo. Politecnico di Torino, Master of science program in Territorial, Urban, Environmental And Landscape Planning, 2025
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Abstract
This thesis explores the enduring presence and continuous renovation of colonial structures from an spatial lens in the context of La Paz-El Alto, Bolivia. By integrating Silvia Rivera Cusicanqui's decolonial thought with Latin American urban historiography and a chronological socio-spatial analysis of La Paz-El Alto, this study demonstrates how historical colonial dynamics persistently shape urbanization processes. The research reveals that the urbanization of La Paz-El Alto is a material manifestation of internal colonialism, where mechanisms of cultural disciplining and exclusion, initially established during the formal colonial period, have been continuously repurposed throughout history. Reforms aimed at "civilizing" and "modernizing" the country triggered massive rural-urban migration and unprecedented urban growth.
However, the intrinsic contradiction of the “modernizing” projects led to marginalization and “informalization” of the indigenous-mestizo urban population, clearly evident in the growth and socio-economic characteristics of El Alto
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