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/bolivia [intro : politics : comida : libros]
posted 30 August 04 & filed under general
bolivia is a gorgeous country. the land is one of extremes—you can experience the cold dry air of the altiplano, the snowy windy heights of the andes, and the steamy sticky air of the amazon all in one day of traveling. the people are incredible, speaking many languages filled with gutturals, pops, clicks, and beauty. the music is irresistible and distinctive, with the panpipes supplying the central atmosphere of every song. the fauna and flora is amazing and largely still unknown. the food is delicious and is the one place where i (mainly) throw my vegetarianism out the window. the poverty is equally striking, as is the inequalities and racism i see whenever i go there. largely ignored and forgotten by most of the world, bolivia is in my heart and my blood.
with a population slightly smaller than the population of los angeles, bolivia has about 20 people per square mile. the majority (over 60%) of bolivians are indigenous and native speakers of either quechua (language of the altiplano), aymara (spoken in the subtropical valleys), or guaraní (amazonian language). 40% of bolivians are under the age of 18 and the life expectancy for women is 68 and for men is 62 years old.
i’m very proud of bolivia, and all the more since i realized its uniqueness and strength in its politics. during the spring of 2000, bolivians fought the bechtel corporation for their right to water. they won. for years now, many bolivians have been fighting for their right to plant and harvest coca, the leaves of which are an integral part of the traditional quechua and aymara cultures. thanks to imperialist bullies like the u.s., there has been much conflict in bolivia over this struggle. [i’ll put up more info/links in a few days.] there has also been a major fight over the exportation of natural gas, with many believing that this would be just another in a long line of natural resources leaving the country with little to no benefit to the majority of bolivians. [more info on that soon, too.] as a result of this gasline fight, in addition to all the others, especially the rising up of the indigenous, the president, a corrupt very pro-u.s. heavily-accented gonzalo sanchez de lozada, was ousted in late 2003. bolivia is definitely on the move, and where it will end up no one knows.
i love bolivia so much. i only go there maybe every three or four years, with my family, but as soon as i step off the plane i remember what i so often forget—that i feel comfortable in bolivia in a way i don’t anywhere else. that i feel a loosening in me of what i don’t really know, but i know i feel thrilled and excited and home, however clichéd that sounds. my hope is to one day go and live there for a year or so and just dig in some roots that will last and last (and hopefully/must pass on to my future children and their children…)
{ check out coca in bolivia, a project done for my ‘intro to archives’ class }