Help with getting a Bolivian visa as a US citizen

I want to travel to Bolivia (hopefully around October-December) to visit a very good friend of mine that lives there. But first, I need to get a visa. From all the research that I’ve done, it seems that you have to already have proof that you have arranged accommodation and purchased a round trip flight (or a flight leaving the country) in order to apply for a visa to get there in the first place!? This seems incredibly counter-intuitive to me and makes everything much more complicated than it needs to be.

I have a very important question for those who have gotten a Bolivian visa and traveled there already:

• Would it be possible for me to simply purchase hotel accommodations and a round-trip flight to Bolivia now so that I can then apply for the visa, even if I may have to cancel these after getting the visa?

I know it might be wasting money, but I really am serious about making this trip one way or another, and I’d be willing to do it if necessary. I don’t want to have to wait until too close to time to apply, and then my visa not arrive in time.

I’ve scoured the internet and can’t find much useful information.

Any help is really appreciated.