The riots that forced Bolivian President Gonzalo Sánchez deLozada to resign on October 17 show how discontent can be channeledto empower leaders hostile to U.S. interests and the region'sfledgling democracies and markets. The United States shouldencourage international support for Bolivia's precarious democracy,enhance lagging U.S. public diplomacy efforts, and retargetcounternarcotics assistance to strengthen civil society and therule of law.