For centuries they were shadow people, a defeated underclass banished to the margins of society and forced to work, and obey, in silence.
But a largely peaceful revolution has empowered Bolivia’s indigenous majority this year and transformed the country into a 21st-century standard-bearer for South America’s native populations.
Under the banner of Bolivian President Evo Morales, the country’s first indigenous president, Aymara, Quechua and other groups have seized political control and uncorked a renaissance in arts, music and traditional institutions.
Exploiting victory in a constitutional referendum earlier this year, which “refounded” Bolivia and gave sweeping rights to indigenous groups, the “little Indians,” as they were once known, have placed their language and customs at the heart of the new state and reinvented elements of their culture through modern forms such as hip-hop and rap.
“We are recovering our history and identity; we are reclaiming our heroes,” said Eugenio Rojas, mayor of Achacachi, an Aymara stronghold in the highlands above La Paz.
The municipality has erected a giant statue of Tupac Katari, an 18th-century rebel who was captured, tortured and executed by the Spanish in 1781.
“Katari is a symbol of resistance,” Rojas said.
Behind the mayor’s desk hung a wiphala, a brightly colored emblem representing indigenous people that was officially established earlier this year as the dual flag of Bolivia, along with the traditional, colonial-era red, yellow and green one. Meanwhile, civil servants are busy learning Aymara and Quechua, the two main indigenous languages. State media reinforce the message that the Spanish tongue’s dominance is over. “Indigenous communities are having more space on TV and that is a reflection of the country’s reality,” said Leila Cortez, head of the state TV network.
Young musicians and hip-hop artists in El Alto, Bolivia’s de facto indigenous capital, have blended ancient Andean folk styles with politically charged rap lyrics espousing “liberation.”
Abraham Bojorquez, leader of a group called Ukamau y Ke, said there was no contradiction in his US-style baggy jeans and baseball cap.
“Hip-hop is a revolutionary genre, so why not adapt it to what we want to say?” he said.
The reinvention extends to highland cholitas — women who wear bowler hats, flouncy skirts and pigtails, and once were either peasants or servants.
Amalia Morales Rondo made history by becoming the first cholita to attend law school and become a judge.
“People now know that indigenous women are not only useful for carrying potatoes in their ponchos, but are also capable of occupying important jobs,” she said.
VAGUE: The criteria of the amnesty remain unclear, but it would cover political violence from 1999 to today, and those convicted of murder or drug trafficking would not qualify Venezuelan Acting President Delcy Rodriguez on Friday announced an amnesty bill that could lead to the release of hundreds of prisoners, including opposition leaders, journalists and human rights activists detained for political reasons. The measure had long been sought by the US-backed opposition. It is the latest concession Rodriguez has made since taking the reins of the country on Jan. 3 after the brazen seizure of then-Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro. Rodriguez told a gathering of justices, magistrates, ministers, military brass and other government leaders that the ruling party-controlled Venezuelan National Assembly would take up the bill with urgency. Rodriguez also announced the shutdown
Civil society leaders and members of a left-wing coalition yesterday filed impeachment complaints against Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte, restarting a process sidelined by the Supreme Court last year. Both cases accuse Duterte of misusing public funds during her term as education secretary, while one revives allegations that she threatened to assassinate former ally Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The filings come on the same day that a committee in the House of Representatives was to begin hearings into impeachment complaints against Marcos, accused of corruption tied to a spiraling scandal over bogus flood control projects. Under the constitution, an impeachment by the
Exiled Tibetans began a unique global election yesterday for a government representing a homeland many have never seen, as part of a democratic exercise voters say carries great weight. From red-robed Buddhist monks in the snowy Himalayas, to political exiles in megacities across South Asia, to refugees in Australia, Europe and North America, voting takes place in 27 countries — but not China. “Elections ... show that the struggle for Tibet’s freedom and independence continues from generation to generation,” said candidate Gyaltsen Chokye, 33, who is based in the Indian hill-town of Dharamsala, headquarters of the government-in-exile, the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA). It
China executed 11 people linked to Myanmar criminal gangs, including “key members” of telecom scam operations, state media reported yesterday, as Beijing toughens its response to the sprawling, transnational industry. Fraud compounds where scammers lure Internet users into fake romantic relationships and cryptocurrency investments have flourished across Southeast Asia, including in Myanmar. Initially largely targeting Chinese speakers, the criminal groups behind the compounds have expanded operations into multiple languages to steal from victims around the world. Those conducting the scams are sometimes willing con artists, and other times trafficked foreign nationals forced to work. In the past few years, Beijing has stepped up cooperation
RSS