The events and consequences of the insurrection of April 1952 captured international attention. While the United States followed developments anxiously, the British ambassador in La Paz, John Garnett Lomax, could afford more detachment. His annual diplomatic report, intended only for other British missions, offers the in-house perspective of an informed outsider. His remarks mix superior bemusement and skepticism about the prospects of the revolution with elements of honesty and insight. On one hand, he suggests that popular revolts in Bolivia are a predictable form of light political theater. On the other hand, he admits that the April uprising was unexpected, and he senses that the results could be profound and enduring. While he is unexpectedly impressed by the maturity of some of the revolutionary leaders, he also notes that the burdens and challenges of change were formidable.
Advertisement
