Effective protection of vulnerable groups with reinforced rights in Bolivia: between normative abstraction and judicial challenges (2019–2024)

Abstract

This article critically examines the effective protection of vulnerable groups with reinforced rights in Bolivia’s constitutional system, within the framework of the constitutional block. Using a dogmatic and jurisprudential approach, it questions the effectiveness of the Plurinational Constitutional Court (PCC) in translating normative mandates into concrete guarantees, particularly in cases involving structural discrimination. The study hypothesizes a gap between the normative density of the constitutional block and its practical implementation, resulting in a “jurisprudential abstraction” that weakens the protection of historically marginalized sectors. A qualitative methodology was employed, based on documentary analysis of key rulings (2019–2024), interviews with legal actors, and review of specialized doctrine. Findings reveal a trend toward symbolic decisions with weak binding force and limited transformative impact. The paper concludes by proposing a shift toward a rights-based interpretive approach that enables the operationalization of international human rights standards within the Bolivian constitutional system.