ABSTRACT
The propaganda campaign brought attention to the MNR. When the Junta triumphantly paraded a coffin with the cadaver of Eduardo Abaroa, a hero of the War of the Pacific, through the streets of La Paz, Movimientista militants sprang into action and draped the coffin with an MNR banner. The MNR also capitalized on the internal disintegration of the Junta Militar. Although General Ballivian posted his most dynamic generals in remote garrisons, the Junta remained a nest of opportunists. The MNR planned to seize control of the nation’s major cities via a series of armed insurrections in yet another reprise of the many failed attempts of the Sexenio. La Paz, the center of governmental power, remained the crucial target. Armed with bolt-action rifles from the Chaco War, the Movimientistas and their supporters faced a daunting task.
