MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Bolivia's judiciary among the worst in the region and globally

En contraste, Uruguay, Chile y Costa Rica mantienen los niveles más altos de estado de derecho

Bolivia was one of the world's worst-ranked countries in the World Justice Project (WJP) Rule of Law Index 2025, falling to 131st place out of 143 nations evaluated, with severe deficiencies in judicial independence, corruption, and government accountability to blame for this performance.

The survey consolidated Bolivia's status as one of the most institutionally challenged countries in Latin America with an overall score of 0.37 on a scale of 0 to 1, ranking below the regional and global average across all eight factors measured by the WJP.

Corruption is one of Bolivia’s most troubling areas, where the country scored a low of approximately 0.23. The WJP found it to be widespread, impacting judicial, police, and administrative institutions at various levels of the state apparatus.

Furthermore, the study warned of a sharp deterioration of judicial independence and a lack of effective control over the executive branch.

The index also noticed that the institutions responsible for overseeing political power have structural vulnerabilities, which limit their ability to apply effective sanctions and ensure accountability. These weaknesses directly compromise the rule of law by limiting the oversight capacity of bodies designed for that function.

In addition, significant shortcomings in access to justice and the protection of fundamental rights were detected, including deficiencies within the criminal justice system, delays in judicial proceedings, and a widespread lack of public confidence in the nation's courts.

Bolivia’s performance lags behind nearly all of its peers, scoring below the Latin American average on almost every indicator. In contrast, regional leaders like Uruguay, Chile, and Costa Rica maintain the highest rule of law levels.

The WJP 2025 report serves as a critical wake-up call for the government and state institutions, emphasizing the urgent need to rebuild public confidence and strengthen democratic governance.