Resumen

CHAMBI OCANA, Airton. The bolivian prisoners in the Chaco war. Rev. Fuent. Cong. [online]. 2018, vol.12, n.54, pp. 13-32. ISSN 1997-4485.

SUMMARY The present work is a historical reconstruction of what happened with the Bolivian soldiers who participated in the Chaco campaign (1932-1935) and who were taken prisoner by the Paraguayan troops. Based on testimonies and documents referring to them, it is investigated how they were captured, the route they followed to their prison, what situations they had to endure in captivity, the work imposed to them, the food, among other aspects, as well as the evasions to return to Bolivia and the punishments suffered by those who were recaptured. Subsequently, the diplomatic process that followed the end of the war to consolídate the captives' repatriation and how they were received both in their homeland and in their homes is analyzed. Finally, the repercussion that former prisoners had on Bolivian society in the first decade of the post-war period (1936-1936) is analyzed, highlighting the social political action of the ex-combatant groups and, in particular, the RADEPA Military Lodge, forged by Bolivian officers during their captivity in Paraguay. That organization had a great influence on the governments of Toro, Busch and Villarroel, being the culminating point of the political action of the former Bolivian prisoners.

Palabras llave : War of the Chaco; Prisoners of war; Army of Bolivia; Army of Paraguay.