García Meza resigned in August 1981, faced wit.... de paz

In the peaceful elections of 1985 the Nationalist Democratic Action (Acci emocr ca Nacionalista; ADN), led by Banzer, narrowly edged out Paz Estenssoro's party, the MNR, but, with the acquiescence of Banzer, Paz Estenssoro was elected president by Congress. In the May 1989 presidential elections the main candidates were Banzer, Paz Zamora, and Gonzalo S hez de Lozada Bustamente, a newcomer to national politics. S hez de Lozada, a philosophy graduate of the University of Chicago and owner of the profitable COMSUR mining company, had assisted with the economic reforms in 1985 under Paz Estenssoro. Paz Zamora, with his Movement of the Revolutionary Left (Movimiento de la Izquierda Revolucionaria; MIR), unexpectedly secured the presidency by forming a coalition government with Banzer's ADN. S hez de Lozada soon initiated a privatization and capitalization program that brought huge amounts of investment capital into the economy. The government sold its controlling interests in el! ectrical energy, transportation, communication, hydrocarbon, and airline companies to foreign partners; the remaining government stake in these companies was transferred to a new national pension fund system. S hez de Lozada ended his term in 1997 with a growing economy, increased foreign investment, and reduced coca leaf cultivation and drug trafficking. de paz