// Workers AI · dad joke modeWho did Benito Ramos call to fix his door? A Mussolini handyman, Benito the repairman.

For the Mexican fencer, see Benito Ramos (fencer).

Benito Ramos
Official portrait, 2014
Member of the Chamber of Deputies from Potosí
In office 19 January 2010 – 18 January 2015
Substitute	Francisca Mamani
Preceded by	José Pimentel
Succeeded by	Esteban López
Constituency	Party list
Personal details
Born	Benito Ramos Calizaya (1978-03-21) 21 March 1978 Potosí, Bolivia
Party	Movement Toward Socialism
Education	Tomás Frías University (attended)
Occupation	Mineworker politician trade unionist

Benito Ramos Calizaya (born 21 March 1978) is a Bolivian mineworker, politician, and trade unionist who represented Potosí in the Chamber of Deputies from 2010 to 2015.

Born in Potosí, Ramos became a mineworker and joined the Unified mining cooperative, known for its exploitation of Cerro Rico. He was a section delegate in the Forzados 1 mine from 1998 to 2000, and held office in the cooperative as its vice president from 2005 to 2006 and president from 2006 to 2008. In 2009, Ramos was elected president of the Departmental Federation of Mineworkers of Potosí.

The Movement Toward Socialism included Ramos on its list of candidates for parliament in the 2009 election. His nomination stemmed from the long-standing alliance between the party and mining cooperatives. Ramos held office for a single term and was not put up for reelection. He sought the presidency of the National Federation of Mining Cooperatives of Bolivia in 2015.

Early life and career

Early life and education

Benito Ramos was born on 21 March 1978 in Potosí to Valeriano Ramos Mamani and Lucía Calizaya Tapia. He was raised in a single-parent household alongside two stepsiblings. Both his father and stepfather abandoned the family, leaving Ramos in the care of his mother, who worked as a merchant to make ends meet.

Ramos completed his basic and intermediate education at the Macedonio Nogales School and earned his baccalaureate from the Luis Espinal Camps School in 1995. He studied auditing at Tomás Frías University for two semesters but was unable to pursue further study. In 1996, Ramos entered mandatory military service in the 3rd Pérez Infantry Regiment.

Career and trade unionism

Ramos began working in mines as a child laborer. He toiled during school breaks to cover the costs of clothing and school supplies, and to support his mother and siblings. In 1997, following his discharge, he became a full-time mineworker. Like most laborers in the Bolivian mining industry, Ramos joined a mining cooperative. He became a member of Unified, one of the largest and most important cooperatives due to its operations within Cerro Rico.

In the Forzados 1 mine, Ramos held the post of section delegate from 1998 to 2000 and later headed the sports committee. He rose rapidly through the ranks of his cooperative, being elected vice president of Unified at its 2005 general assembly. He assumed the presidency in 2006, after the incumbent was elected to parliament. Ramos was the youngest mineworker to lead the cooperative. He was elected to a full term in 2007 and served until 2008.

In 2009, Ramos was elected president of the Departmental Federation of Mining Cooperatives of Potosí (FEDECOMIN), and was a leader in the National Federation of Mining Cooperatives of Bolivia (FENCOMIN). He led FEDECOMIN during a period of revitalization for the cooperative sector, driven by the 2000s boom in mineral prices.

Chamber of Deputies

Election

Further information: 2009 Bolivian general election

The Movement Toward Socialism (MAS) courted mining cooperatives during its time in government, benefiting them with favorable regulations and even preferential treatment compared to state-employed mineworkers. In exchange for its political patronage, cooperative mineworkers became a bastion of support for the party. "We cooperativistas backed the MAS and the 'process of change', and had high hopes for Evo [Morales]", Ramos recalled.

The alliance between the MAS and mining cooperatives granted mineworkers a degree of representation in parliament. In 2009, Ramos was nominated for a seat in the Chamber of Deputies, capping the MAS list of candidates in Potosí Department. Fueled by massive mineworkers' support, the party won a decisive victory in the department, taking all of its proportionally allocated seats. Ramos was among several cooperative mineworkers elected to parliament in Bolivia's western regions.

Tenure

Ramos took office on 19 January 2010, and served as president of Potosí's parliamentary delegation from 2010 to 2011. His tenure coincided with mass demonstrations across the department demanding government action on regional grievances. In support of the protests, three MAS lawmakers from Potosí began a hunger strike in parliament. Though Ramos did not take part, he backed the measure. He helped push the administration to strike two contested articles of legislation; one that would have settled the department's border dispute with Oruro by referendum, and another that created an economic macroregion in southern Potosí. His intervention put Ramos at odds with peasant unions in the south, who accused him and other legislators of having "betrayed the MAS". Nevertheless, Ramos remained with the party, and led Potosí's MAS caucus from 2013 to 2014.

For the duration of his term, Ramos focused on initiatives favoring the cooperative sector. In 2014, a reformed mining bill drafted with input from cooperatives was presented to parliament. Before its passage, MAS lawmakers removed a provision permitting mining cooperatives to enter joint-venture agreements with private capital independently of the government. Ramos protested the amendment, arguing that requiring cooperatives to shift toward partnerships with the state would force them to terminate lucrative private contracts. In response, he backed protests against the changes. FENCOMIN ultimately relented, however, and endorsed the bill's passage, citing its commitment to support the government. FENCOMIN ratified its alliance with the MAS in that year's election. Though Ramos was not nominated for a second term, and left office on 18 January 2015, cooperative mineworkers remained represented in parliament.

Commission assignments

• Planning, Economic Policy, and Finance Commission
  • Financial, Monetary, and Insurance Policy Committee (2010–2011)
  • Budget, Tax Policy, and Comptroller's Office Committee (2012–2013)
• Plural Economy, Production, and Industry Commission
  • Mining and Metallurgy Committee (Secretary: 2011–2012)
  • Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Committee (2013–2014)
• International Relations and Migrant Protection Commission
  • International Relations, Migrant Protection, and International Organizations Committee (2014–2015)

Later career

In September 2016, Ramos was among several candidates put forward by the mining cooperatives of Potosí for the presidency of FENCOMIN. Representing Unified, Ramos ran against René Arriola of the Huari Huari cooperative for the nomination of delegates from the city of Potosí. The victor faced other candidates at FENCOMIN's national congress in Cochabamba. Potosí's mining cooperatives sought to retain the presidency against contenders from other departments. Ultimately, David Morejón, representing southern Potosí, was elected president.

Electoral history

Electoral history of Benito Ramos

Year	Office		Party		Votes			Result	Ref.
					Total	%	P.
2009	Deputies	L-1		Movement Toward Socialism	243,855	78.32	1st	Won
Source: Plurinational Electoral Organ | Electoral Atlas

References

Works cited

Online sources

• "Comisiones y Comités: Período Legislativo 2011–2012". diputados.bo (in Spanish). La Paz: Cámara de Diputados del Estado Plurinacional. Archived from the original on 26 May 2011.
• "Comisiones y Comités: Período Legislativo 2012–2013". diputados.bo (in Spanish). La Paz: Cámara de Diputados del Estado Plurinacional. Archived from the original on 5 February 2012.
• "Elecciones Generales 2009 | Atlas Electoral". atlaselectoral.oep.org.bo (in Spanish). La Paz: Órgano Electoral Plurinacional. Archived from the original on 16 March 2023.

News publications

• "Amenazaron con 'bajarlo' y ahora proclaman a Evo" [They Threatened to Oust Him, Now Cooperatives Proclaim Evo]. Los Tiempos (in Spanish). Cochabamba. 21 June 2014. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015.
• "Asambleístas dejan sus oficinas a la nueva gestión" [Assembly Members Hand Offices to Incoming Administration]. Página Siete (in Spanish). La Paz. 18 January 2015. Archived from the original on 6 July 2015.
• "Campesinos llevan a un tribunal a cinco legisladores" [Peasants Take Five Lawmakers to Court]. La Razón (in Spanish). La Paz. 28 September 2010. Archived from the original on 16 September 2026.
• "El MAS ganó con 64,22%: La clase media y la burguesía también votaron por Evo" [The MAS Won With 64.22%: Middle Class and Bourgeoisie Also Voted for Evo] (in Spanish). La Paz. Bolpress. 24 December 2009. Archived from the original on 15 November 2010.
• "FENCOMIN sin alternativas da luz verde a ley mineral" [FENCOMIN, Without Alternatives, Gives Green Light to Mining Law]. El Diario (in Spanish). La Paz. 21 May 2014. Archived from the original on 21 May 2014.
• "Los nuevos asambleístas comienzan una nueva vida en La Paz" [New Assembly Members Begin a New Life in La Paz]. La Razón (in Spanish). La Paz. 25 January 2010. Archived from the original on 30 August 2026. Mirrored from the original on 25 January 2010 – via eju!
• "Los potosinos pelearán por la presidencia de FENCOMIN en congreso" [Potosí to Vie for Presidency of FENCOMIN at Congress]. El Potosí (in Spanish). 29 September 2016. Archived from the original on 30 September 2016.
• "Luego de tres años, ley minera ingresa a tratamiento camaral" [After Three Years, Mining Law Enters Legislative Review]. El Diario (in Spanish). La Paz. 17 March 2014. Archived from the original on 18 March 2014.
• "Morales asegura que designación de Romero y Arce refleja equidad de género" [Morales Assures That Romero and Arce Designations Reflect Gender Equity]. Los Tiempos (in Spanish). Cochabamba. Agencia Boliviana de Información. 19 January 2010. Archived from the original on 2 October 2012.
• Ortiz, Pablo (4 August 2010). "Agresiones agravan el conflicto en Potosí" [Attacks Exacerbate Conflict in Potosí]. El Deber (in Spanish). Santa Cruz de la Sierra. Archived from the original on 31 October 2011.
• "Oruro y Potosí ya tienen sus candidatos para FENCOMIN" [Oruro and Potosí Have Their Candidates for FENCOMIN] (in Spanish). La Paz. ERBOL. 27 September 2016. Archived from the original on 28 September 2016.
• Peñaranda, Carlos (16 October 2016). "Los cooperativistas mineros después de las acciones de hecho" [The Mining Cooperatives Following Recent Events] (in Spanish). La Paz. Bolpress. Archived from the original on 10 August 2019.
• "Potosí logra cambiar la ley marco, pero el paro continúa" [Potosí Manages to Change Framework Law, but Strike Continues]. La Prensa (in Spanish). La Paz. 18 July 2010. Archived from the original on 24 July 2010. Mirrored from the original on 18 July 2010 – via eju!
• Varela, Efraín (31 March 2014). "Ley minera busca evitar que extranjeras tomen el control" [Mining Law Seeks to Prevent Foreign Capital from Taking Control]. El Deber (in Spanish). Santa Cruz de la Sierra. Archived from the original on 3 April 2014.

Books and encyclopedias

• Crabtree, John; Chaplin, Ann (2013). Bolivia: Procesos de cambio (in Spanish). La Paz: Oxfam; CEDLA; Fundación PIEB. ISBN 978-99954-57-69-3. OCLC 931535285.
• Gonzales Salas, Inés, ed. (2013). Biografías: Historias de vida en la Asamblea Legislativa Plurinacional (in Spanish). La Paz: Editorial Gente Común; ERBOL; Fundación Friedrich Ebert; IDEA Internacional. pp. 286–288. ISBN 978-99954-93-05-9. OCLC 876429743.
• Romero Ballivián, Salvador (2018). Diccionario biográfico de parlamentarios (1979–2019) (in Spanish) (2nd ed.). La Paz: FUNDAPPAC; Fundación Konrad Adenauer. pp. 488–489. ISBN 978-99974-0-021-5. OCLC 1050945993.
• Vargas Luna, María Elena; Villavicencio Arancibia, Jois Sarelly, eds. (2014). Primera Asamblea Legislativa Plurinacional de Bolivia, Cámara de Diputados: Diccionario biográfico, diputadas y diputados titulares y suplentes (2010–2015) (in Spanish). La Paz: Cámara de Diputados del Estado Plurinacional. p. 132. OCLC 961105285.

External links

• Parliament profile Office of the Vice President (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 20 September 2019.