Key Benefits:
law no 269
AUGUST 2, 2012 LAW
EVO MORALES AYMA
CONSTITUTIONAL PRESIDENT OF THE PLURINATIONAL STATE OF BOLIVIA
For the Plurinational Legislative Assembly, it has Sanctioned the following Act:
THE PLURINATIONAL LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY,
D E C R E T A:
GENERAL LANGUAGE RIGHTS AND POLICIES LAW
CHAPTER FIRST
GENERAL PROVISIONS
Article 1. (OBJECT OF THE LAW). This Act is intended to:
1. Recognize, protect, promote, disseminate, develop and regulate the individual and collective language rights
of the inhabitants of the Plurinational State of Bolivia.
2. Generate public policies and obligations institutional for its implementation, within the framework of the Constitution
State policy, international conventions and legal provisions in force.
3. Recover, vitalize, revitalize and develop the official languages in extinction risk, setting actions
for use in all instances of the Plurinational State of Bolivia.
Article 2. (SCOPE).
I. This Law guarantees the individual and collective linguistic rights of all the inhabitants of the State
Plurinational of Bolivia.
II. Public administration and public service private entities have an obligation to comply with
this Law.
Article 3. (PRINCIPLES). The following principles govern this Law:
a) Decolonization. Dismount the mental structures of domination product of linguistic colonialism and
cultural, reproductive of racism, discrimination and exploitation, for harmonious, inclusive, intracultural and intercultural coexistence on a level playing field with full social justice.
b) Equity. Establish the sociolinguistic balance between the respective linguistic rights of the nations
and indigenous peoples originating peasants and the rest of the Bolivian society, guaranteeing a balanced treatment of compensatory objectives, Favor of minority communities characterized by their political, socioeconomic and cultural precariousness.
c) Equality. All the official languages of the Plurinational State of Bolivia are the same and the inhabitants
speakers of these, enjoy the same linguistic rights before the Law.
d) Interculturality. It is the recognition of the expression and coexistence of linguistic cultural diversity,
institutional, normative, and exercise and respect for individual and collective rights.
e) Personality. Guarantee the person, the exercise of the right to use their language, independently
of the place where they are within the Plurinational State of Bolivia.
f) Territorial. Delimità the linguistic rights of the persons to territorial spaces for access to
public services in one or more official languages, according to their widespread use.
Article 4. (DEFINITIONS).
a) Language rights. These are the rights to correct linguistic imbalances, so that
ensures the full development of the languages of the Plurinational State of Bolivia, in order to achieve a linguistic, fair and equitable peace.
b) Bilingual. It is called a bilingual person who has developed communicative skills in two
languages.
c) Language Community. It is every human society that, historically settled in a territorial space
determined, recognized or not, self-identifies as a people and has developed a common language as a means of natural communication and cultural cohesion among its members. A territory's own language name refers to the language of the community historically established in this space.
d) Language group. It is the set of speakers who share the same language, group that is established
in the territorial space of another linguistic community and which has no historical presence equivalent to the linguistic community. The language group is the result of immigration, refuge and diaspora.
e) Language or language. It is the communication system that uses a particular linguistic community.
f) Foreign Language. It is the language that is not commonly spoken in the country and is learned as a
individual right or personal choice.
g) First language or mother tongue (L1). It is the first language that is learned to speak in the family.
and that it is constituted on the basis of socialization, the elaboration and expression of the first ideas and the conceptualizations of the external world, from the culture to which the speaker belongs.
h) Plurilingue. It is called plurilingual language communities or people who have developed
communicative competencies in two or more language codes with varying degrees of knowledge and use.
i) Second language (L2). language that is learned after the mother tongue (L1) and is constituted
in the second option to conceive, express other cosmovisions and communicate within the dynamics of national bilingualism.
j) Standardisation language. A planned process to ensure that the official languages, achieve a situation of
equality in the legal, social value and extend their use to various fields in the written language.
k) Language rules. A process that aims to provide alphabets, spelling rules, rules
precise grammatical, innovations in vocabulary and speech development, for the written performance of a given language in various fields.
l) Language Standardization. Process of generalization of a supradialectal variety of a given
language, socially accepted for use at the written level, enabling idiomatic unification, without prejudice to the keeping of the local varieties in the form oral.
m) Public service private entities . They are all private entities, whatever type of
their organization, whose purposes are the massive provision of public services, such as telecommunications, air transport, railways, lake and land, public security, tourism, post, courier, electricity supply, drinking water supply, public works on roads and private universities.
CHAPTER SECOND
LANGUAGE RIGHTS
Article 5. (INDIVIDUAL LANGUAGE RIGHTS). In the framework of this Law, everyone
is entitled:
1. To be recognized as a member of a linguistic community.
2. To use your native language in an oral and written form within your language community and in other areas
sociocultural.
3. To be told in your native language orally and in writing your duties and rights.
4. For use and legal recognition of your name in your native language.
5. To preserve and develop your language and culture to which you belong.
6. To have access to resources and resources to learn other official languages.
Article 6. (COLLECTIVE LANGUAGE RIGHTS). All the communities and language groups of the
Plurinational State of Bolivia are entitled:
1. To receive education in their native language and second language with their respective cultural relevance.
2. To be cared for and receive oral, written and audiovisual information in the official languages in the administration
public and private entities of public service, in the framework of the principle of territoriality.
3. To recover and use toponimical terms in indigenous languages in public places at the regional level,
municipal, departmental and plurinational, in the framework of the principle of territoriality.
4. To retrieve and use language-specific terminology in the artistic, academic, medical, musical,
spiritual, and other fields.
5. To preserve intellectual rights in the oral and written production of knowledge, science, technology,
wisdom and literature as the collective property of indigenous indigenous peoples and nations.
6. For new information and communication technologies, in official languages.
7. For the recovery, storage and dissemination of linguistic and cultural research regarding the
nations and peoples indigenous native peasants, within plurinational territory.
8. To develop their own institutions for the research and teaching of languages and cultures.
CHAPTER THIRD
OFFICIAL LANGUAGES STATUS
Article 7. (DECLARATION).
Plurinational, Oral, Intangible, Historical and Cultural Heritage of the State
is declared a "Plurinational of Bolivia, in all the languages of indigenous peoples and nations"Article 8. (OFFICIAL LANGUAGES). They are official languages of the State, Spanish and all the languages of the
indigenous nations and indigenous peoples, who are the Aymara, Araona, Bauré, Besiro, Canichana, Cavineno, Cayubaba, Chacobo, Chimane, El ejja, Guarani, Guarasu'we, Guarayu, Itonama, Leco, Machajuyai-kallawaya, Machineri, Maropa, Mojeno-Trinittarius, Mojeno-Ignaciano, More, Moseten, Movima, Pacawara, Puquina, Quechua, Siriono, Tacana, Tapiete, Toromona, Uru-Chipaya, Weenhayek, Yaminawa, Yuki, Yuracare and Zamuco.
Article 9. (LANGUAGES IN DANGER OF EXTINCTION). The official languages in danger of extinction should
receive priority attention in linguistic planning, multilingual intercultural education, research and publication of various types of texts by the State Plurinational of Bolivia.
Article 10. (LANGUAGE PLANNING).
II. The educational system of the Plurinational State of Bolivia, must promote and develop the scientific study, normalization,
standardization, linguistic standardization and application of the official languages, in the different instances of the Bolivian society.
Article 11. (PARTICIPATION AND SOCIAL CONTROL).
I. Indigenous nations and indigenous peoples, as part of civil society organized and in conformity
with the Constitution of the State, have the right to participate in design, planning, execution and control of public policies regarding the official languages of the Plurinational State of Bolivia.
. The State, with the active and decisive participation of the family, the community, the indigenous indigenous organizations
peasants, and society as a whole, promote the use and application of official languages, in the formulation of linguistic and cultural policies.
CHAPTER FOURTH
LANGUAGES IN THE MULTILINGUAL EDUCATION SYSTEM
Article 12. (STUDENTS ' RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS).
I. Students of all subsystems and educational levels have the right to receive an intra-cultural education,
intercultural and multilingual.
The Spanish monolingual student has the right and the duty of learn another official language of the state, predominant in the region, as a second language.
Students have the right to self-identify using their own language and culture in the various areas related to public and private education, without discrimination.
The subsystem of Higher Education of Vocational Training, under the principle of territoriality, has the right to the oral and written use of the languages of the indigenous peoples and nations, in the pedagogical processes and in documents that validen obtaining an academic degree.
Article 13. (PRESERVATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF LANGUAGES).
I. The Executive Body of the State Central Level guarantees the preservation and development of the languages of the nations and
indigenous peoples originating in the peasants, through the competent authorities.
II. must implement programs aimed at preserving and developing the official languages of
constitutional mandate agreement.
Article 14. (ACCREDITATION OF KNOWLEDGE AND ANCESTRAL KNOWLEDGE). The Ministry of
Education must recognize and accredit the linguistic and cultural knowledge and knowledge of wise and long-lived older people, without academic training, from different nations and indigenous peoples. (a) to pass on to future generations in accordance with Law No. 070 Law of Education Avelino Sinani? Elizardo Perez.
Article 15. (USE OF THE LANGUAGE IN COMMUNITY EDUCATIONAL PROCESSES). It will be recognized,
will respect, promote and develop community educational processes, where the languages and cosmovisions of all indigenous nations and indigenous peoples are used.
CHAPTER QUINTO
USING LANGUAGES IN COMMUNICATION
Article 16. (THE ROL OF THE STATE IN THE MEDIA).
I. The State guarantees the free dissemination of the country's multicultural and multilingual reality in official languages and language
special alternative, Bolivian Sign Language? LSB, in the media, written, audiovisual and in the Information and Communication Technologies? ICT, public order, and private.
The State guarantees the free production, publication and dissemination of written and audiovisual materials in the official languages related to the culture, science and technology of indigenous peoples and nations, in the
17. (MEDIA). Indigenous nations and indigenous peoples havethe right to access spaces for dissemination in the social media that enable them to make their own language, culture and culture known, enriched, developed and strengthened. worldview.
Article 18. (BROADCAST).The oral, written, and virtual media must incorporate
broadcast on linguistic diversity.
CHAPTER SIXTH
USE OF LANGUAGES IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
AND PUBLIC SERVICE PRIVATE ENTITIES
Article 19. (USE OF THE LANGUAGES).
I. Everyone, has the right to receive care in their language, in any management that they perform, in any repartition of the
public administration and public service private entities, according to the principle of territoriality.
II. The Plurinational State of Bolivia, will establish the institutional, administrative and financial mechanisms for the
application of this Law.
Article 20. (PROMOTION OF OFFICIAL LANGUAGES).
I. Public administration and private public service entities, should promote the use of languages
officers, through communication and dissemination programs, as well as the production of literary expressions.
II. Public administration and private public service entities must translate and disseminate standards, material of
information and other instruments of general interest in the languages of indigenous peoples and nations, according to the principle of territoriality and cultural relevance.
III. Public administration and private public service entities have a duty to encourage the translation of literary works, teaching materials, studies and research into Spanish into the languages of nations and peoples. Indigenous peasant or vice versa.
IV. Public administration and private public service entities, will promote computer production (Software) in indigenous native languages.
Article 21. (PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AND PRIVATE ENTITIES STAFF OF
PUBLIC SERVICE). Public administration and private public service entities, in the hiring of their staff, should weigh the knowledge of official languages according to the principle of territoriality.
Article 22. (TRAINING).
I. Public administration and private public service entities, have an obligation to implement
training for the staff of their dependency directed to the learning and oral and written use of the official languages according to the principle of territoriality.
II. The central level of the State, through its competent entities, will establish continuous training programs
on official languages of indigenous peoples and nations, for the personnel of the public administration and private public service entities, according to regulation.
Article 23. (VALIDITY OF FORMALITIES). The use of an official language of indigenous nations and peoples
originating peasants, in the realization of any formalities or management, in the public sphere or in private entities of public service, under the principle of territoriality, shall not in any case be a cause of rejection or nullity.
Article 24. (USE OF LANGUAGES IN THE SYSTEM OF ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE).
I. The public servants and servants of the Judicial Authority must ensure in the trials and procedures the use of
official languages of the State, when one of the parties so requires.
II. Everyone who is involved in court proceedings has the right to defend themselves in their own language, with
the help of a translator or translator, assigned or assigned free of charge, under the principle of territoriality, agreement to a regulation.
III. The public servants and servants of the Judicial Authority must know a language of indigenous nations and peoples
originating peasants according to the principle of territoriality.
CHAPTER SEVENTH
USE OF THE LANGUAGE IN THE NAMES
Article 25. (IDENTITY).
I. Everyone has the right to identify themselves in an oral and written manner in their mother tongue.
II. The State and society have an obligation to recognize and respect in an oral and written manner the names and surnames that
identify people in their mother tongue.
III. Every language community has the right to use in an oral and written form the toponyms, zoonoses, phytonimes and others in
the language of the territory and in the fields private, public and official. These denominations may not be deleted, replaced, altered or arbitrarily adapted.
IV. The State in coordination with each language community will progressively develop the standardized writing of
languages, recovering toponyits, zoonoses, phytonimas, and others.
Article 26. (IDENTIFICATION RECORD). State personal identification instances, have the
obligation to register the names and surnames of people in the mother language at the request of a party.
CHAPTER EIGHTH
PLANNING and BUDGET
Article 27. (BUDGET). Public administration and private public service entities shall
incorporate in their annual operational programmes the necessary resources to ensure compliance and applicability of this Law.
TRANSIENT provisions
FIRST. The Executive Body in coordination with the authorities of indigenous nations and indigenous peoples
peasants, will draft the regulations of this Law, within 180 days after publishing.
. The oral and written use of the languages of indigenous indigenous peoples and peoples, in pedagogical processes and in documents that validate the attainment of an academic degree, as determined in Article 12, paragraph IV, shall be progressive application according to regulation.
THIRD. For compliance with Article 5, 7 of Article 234 and the Transitional Provision
Tenth of the Constitution of the State, any servant or public servant who does not speak a language of indigenous nations and peoples native farmers, must learn the language of the region at the communicative level, according to the principle of territoriality, within a maximum period of three (3) years.
FINAL DISPOSITION
ONLY. For the effective application of the This Law, the National Institute of Statistics? INE, universities
state and indigenous and other specialized instances of indigenous peoples and indigenous peoples are responsible for establishing the country's sociolinguistic situation on a regular basis.
OPENING DISPOSITION
ONLY. Brogated: Supreme Decree No. 25894 of September 11, 2000, Supreme Decree No.
03820 of September 1, 1954, Supreme Decree No. 8483 of September 18, 1968 and any legal provision contrary to this Law.
Remitase al Executive organ, for constitutional purposes.
It is given in the Session Room of the Plurinational Legislative Assembly, at twenty-three days of March
of the year two thousand twelve.
Fdo. Lilly Gabriela Montano Viana, Rebeca Elvira Delgado Burgoa, Mary Medina Zabaleta, David Sanchez Heredia, Luis Alfaro Arias, Angel David Cortez Villegas.
Therefore, it is enacted to have and comply with the Law of the Plurinational State of Bolivia.
City of Sucre, two days in August of the year two thousand twelve.
FDO. EVO MORALES AYMA, David Choquehuanca Cespedes, Juan Ramón Quintana Taborga, Carlos
Gustavo Romero Bonifaz, Ruben Aldo Saavedra Soto, Elba Viviana Caro Hinojosa, Luis Alberto Arce Catacora, Juan Jose Hernando Sosa Soruco, Ana Teresa Morales Olivera, Arturo Vladimir Sanchez Escobar, Mario Virreira Iporre, Cecilia Luisa Ayllon Quinteros, Daniel Santalla Torrez, Juan Carlos Calvimontes Camargo, Felipe Quispe Quenta, Roberto Ivan Aguilar Gomez, Nemesia Achacollo Tola, Claudia Stacy Peña Claros, Nardy Suxo Iturry, Pablo Cesar
Groux Canedo, Amanda Davila Torres.
