OUR MOUNTAINS ARE MELTING

From time to time news say that El Alto within 10 years there may have serious problems of water supply. ¿More shortage? ¿How can it be? El Alto is located about 4100 over sea level and it has around 1.000.000 inhabitants most of which are from aymara indigenous origen. It has a growing population and according to statistical data it is the second biggest city in Bolivia. Now it has 11 districts, 8 urban and 3 rural. According to Fejuve, there are 600 registered neighborhoods distributed in this city. A high porcentaje of its population is young since families tend to have more than two children. Unfortunately, many people doesn´t have yet access to drinkable water.

El Alto is supplied by water that comes from mountains. However, mountains through the years have been losing their white layer and it is said that in some years they will have lost all the ice and snow they have. Up to now, this is the main source of drinkable water, which after processed by Epsas is distributed to the neighborhoods in El Alto. Chacaltaya was one of the most well-known snow-covered mountains. Local and foreign people used to go there to sky, but now an important part of it doesn´t exist any more. Only rocky mountains stay as remembrance of what 10, 20 and 30 yeas ago was completely white.

Additional conditions difficult access to water. A lot of people arrive from rural area to El Alto and establish wherever they can. Because of lack of money, they live in neighborhoods where there is neither drinkable water nor sewer system. Some of them dig a hole which should be about three metres deep until they find water. More or less in November, it starts rainy time and it is other possibility for neighbors to collect water. At the end, lack of water added to existent levels of poverty many times result in illnesses.

There is an heterogeinity of situations. I have water at home but some of my neighbors don´t. This is a serious problem for the families. In my case, I share water with other family. Basilio and Juana have four children. They are renters. The house where they live doesn´t have drinkable water. Whenever they need, they use a hose to collect water from my house and at end of the month we divide the cost of water invoice to pay.

It is important that all the families could have water at home but it is not always posible. In August 16th. neighborhood there are only public places from where, people can collect water. Generally, children carry water to their houses.

La Paz is also supplied by water that comes from the mountains. For example, many small towns sorrounding Illimani mountain benefit from its waters for domestic use. Illimani is one of the most visible mountain. Local researchers say that it is also losing its snow. Part of the State Constitution says that “Hidric resources in all their states are strategic, vulnerable, finite resources and have a social, cultural and environmental role”. Mountains are considered Achachilas by indigenous peoples here. Achachila is a spiritual guide to which rituals are made in certain dates.

Bolivian Constitution, says that “Water is a fundamental right for life. The State will promote use and access to water based on the principles of solidarity, reciprocity, equity, diversity and sustaintability”. State will protect and guarantee the prioritarian water use for life. Although it is being installed water nets, it seems that population grows quicker and a combination of factors: lack of the proper technology, human and economical resources complicates the situation. So, it is probably that when all citizens may have drinkable water system at home, there won´t be water because all the snowed-covered mountains would have melted. El Alto has water problems now and nature doesn´t wait.. Please, stop warming the planet: ¡We need water!.

Picture 1: Part of Chacaltaya mountain with a view of Illimani mountain.

Pictures 2 and 3: Parts of Chacaltaya mountain.

A DECREE FOR BOLIVIAN STUDENTS

This morning Education Minister announced a Decree that benefit all Bolivian students. According to this Decree about 160.000 students this year will receive their bachellor diplomas free. In Bolivia, one has to go to school for 12 years: 8 years at primary school and 4 years at secondary school. After that, one receives a diploma, which is an important document to continue studies at the universities.

When I finished school I had to follow a lot of procedures to obtain this diploma: first at my school, then at Education Minister and finally at the local public university. This meant for me to spend a lot of money and a lot of time. I know a lot of people that although they finished school they couldn´t obtain that document mainly because of the lack of money. I remember that all the procedure to obtain that diploma was a complete nightmare in that moment. Situation was worse for students from rural areas because they had to go to the cities to make this procedure.

But, now, according to this Decree, students will receive their diplomas at their schools at the end of school year which is in December. There used to be a lot of complications to obtain this document in the previous years. I think that with this Decree a lot of students will benefit not only this year but also in the future. It is a door that opens an opportunity to continue higher studies.

Other Decree announced by Health Minister, says that from now on, the private and public health insurance covers people until they are 25 years old. Before, health insurance was only until 18 years old. Minister said that this Decree has the objetive that universty students or students from technological and other institutes could benefit with the extension of health insurance.

AT BLOGHER CONFERENCE IN CHICAGO

It is a month since I had the possibility to participate at BlogHer 2009 Conference that took place last July 24, 25 in Chicago and although it is a bit late I would like to share some thoughts about this event.

My participation was possible thanks to the decision of the BlogHer Staff to select bloggers from other countries and continents through a scholarship. Annie Zaidi from India, Toyin Ajao from Nigeria and Pilirani Semu Banda from Malawi and me, Cristina Quisbert from Bolivia could share our experiences as bloggers in our countries.

I have to say that for me, it was a complete surprise to see such a huge group of bloggers in the same place

.

On July 23, a group of speakers had a meeting. There, I met Annie and Pilirani but also other speakers who were part of other sessions. This was a small group and perhaps due to that there was the possibility to briefly know about their backgrounds.

On July 24, it started the official sessions. It was a great surprise for me to see for the first time to the founders of BlogHer, Elisa Camahort Page, Jory Des Jardins and Lisa Stone. It was very nice to see that a project they started some years ago had grown up a lot. According to what I heard, about 1500 bloggers were attending the Conference this year.

One of the activities I enjoyed a lot was de Speed Dating BlogHer Style. During this activity I spoke with a lot of people and I received a lot of cards.

There were a variety of activites during the Conference but I liked to go to Geek Lab. I specially remember to Gena Haskett in her videoblogging session and Virginia Debolt in the Css Style sheet topic.

When I departed from Bolivia, I said, "I know nobody in Chicago, and nobody knows me", but during the Conference I saw Liz Henry. I met her last year in other country and I felt really happy to see her again.

It was my first time to attend BlogHer Conference. To be there, meant to enrich my life and my knowledge. I want to end this post by saying Thank you very much, to Elisa, Jory, Lisa, Jes Ferris, Liz and all the Staff of BlogHer.

UNTIE THE COLONY...

"Untie the colony to built the plurinational", says a phrase included in the invitation for a third conference being developed since three months ago within a process of "retrieval of the ideological identity of indigenous movements and leaders".

Last January 25th, more than 51% of the population in Bolivia approved the new Political Constitution which recognizes all the indigenous peoples and afrobolivians. As part of the process of deep changes being held in this country, it was created a Decolonization Viceministry, leaded by an indigenous historian and an afrobolivian woman as one Director of this State office.

According to the invitation, this event will take place July 31, at 18:30 at the Vicepresidency Hall, at Mercado Street in La Paz, Bolivia.

At Blogher Conference 2009

After some hours of travel from El Alto, La Paz, Bolivia I arrived to Chicago where officially another version of BlogHer Conference will be held July 24 and 25th. The whole program promises to be an opportunity to learn a lot about blogging. I am expecting not only to meet the other people who will participate in the BlogHer Scholarship Winners, but also to meet other bloggers that are arriving to this event.

SOME CHANGES

Last days La Paz, Bolivia has been celebrating 200 years of the independence, 1809-2009. However, something important to say is that indigenous peoples were not even allowed to enter the main square of La Paz, Murillo´s Square, during some decades of the Republic. However, along the time, indigenous peoples have been gaining positions in different levels.

INDIGENOUS REBELLIONS

Last June 26th. it was developed a seminar called "Indigenous Rebellions" at the Hall of the Vicepresidency of the Plurinational State in La Paz, Bolivia. Leaded by the Decolonization Viceminister, Roberto Choque Canqui, this was the second activity within a program of six events whose objective is to recover the ideological identity of the indigenous movements and leaders in Bolivia.

During his speech, Choque Canqui, briefly described the situation of indigenous peoples. "Since ancient times, indigenous peoples were owners of theirs lands in community, but with the arrival of invaders they started to lose them. This situation, got worse and worse with the time. Later, in 1874 the Government promulgated a law which would allow indigenous families to own lands individually. This law produced a lot of conflicts within the communities because before that law, ownership was in common ant they were accustomed to live that way. Taking advantage of the application of that law of 1874, strange people, with the help of local authorities, started to take lands from indigenous families by force and then, to keep these families as slaves, making them work without any salary. This situation, would produce frequent rebellions in different towns in rural areas of La Paz, Cochabamba, Potosí. Other reason to rebel during decades was the demand for schools for their children". Here, I have to point out that for years there was a high degree of illiteracy in indigenous adult men but mostly in indigenous young and adult women. In March 2006, President Evo Morales, inaugurated a big campaign to teach all illiterate people in Bolivia how to read and write. The first part of this program ended last year and this year started the second part and according to President Morales, this will continue with other steps.

GRAN PODER PARADE IN LA PAZ, BOLIVIA

Last Saturday it was developed one of the biggest parades in Bolivia. It is "Gran Poder" Parade which takes place every year in La Paz, Bolivia. About 58 groups participate in this parade starting in the neighborhood called Cementerio dancing kilometers and kilometers until to arrive to downtown. It generally starts early in the morning about 7:00am. and ends 2:00am. on Sunday. Each group of dancers aproximately dances about five or six hours from the beginning until the end of the route.

Generally, a big part of the citizenship participates in this event. This year, President Evo Morales accompanied this celebration too together with other autorities.

An author refers that during 1600, it was accustomed to make Inti Raymi (Celebrations to the Sun) celebrations in the Andes using lots of gold, silver and mullu (a kind of subtance used in rituals). As in the past, during Gran Poder parade female dancers used to have earings and ornaments made of gold.

Different kind of dances can be seen during this parade. Cullaguada, Llamerada, Caporales, Morenada, Diablada, Tinkus, Tarqueada and others.

AFRODESCENTS IN BOLIVIA

Last Monday May 18th. it started a Meeting of Afrodescendants that arrived to South Americas during colonial times. During three days they had the possibility to share the situation of afrodescendants in Bolivia and in other countries. In the bolivian case, the State Constitution approved last January 25th, 2009 recognizes all the rights of the afrobolivian people. I was something expected for a long time by afrobolivian because they were never included before in any Constitution, what is more, during the last census in 2001 there were not taken into account.

Yesterday, President Evo Morales, went to Chijchipa, one of the communities mainly inhabited by afrobolivians. There, he assured that in the next Plurinational Assembly afrobolivians would be included. Other important step is that since last March, an afrobolivian woman, Mónica Rey, for the first time in the history of Bolivia is responsible of a Direction that works towards the elimination of Racism and Discrimination.

There are different tools that afrodescendants have been using in order to ask for their rights. In Bolivia, it has been music and dance. As soon as they play their music, people accompanies them dancing. As afrobolivians say, they have opened doors with their art.

I INDIGENOUS CONGRESS 1945

228 years ago, May 18, 1781 one of the indigenous leaders Tupak Amaru, his family, his wife and his nearest followers were killed in front of a huge quantity of people. Amaru and his wife Micaela Bastidas before being killed, had to see how the other prisoners were killed. Some of them were hanged, other were cut their tongues before being hanged.

It seems to be a long time, however, from generation to generation the history of our leaders is kept in the memory of our peoples. As last January 25, it was approved in Bolivia a new Political Constitution where all the indigenous peoples in Bolivia are recognized, it is very important than younger generations know about our history to preserve our identity.

So, last Thursday it began a serie of conferences called "Retrieval from ideological identity from Bolivian movements and indigenous leaders", whose first conference was about the I Indigenous Congress celebrated in 1945. This Congress in 1945 was developed with the participation of the President of the Republic, Gualberto Villarroel. Since that time, it is the first time that the Plurinational State supports the realization of a conference to remember the Indigenous Congress. During the opening ceremony Vicepresident, Alvaro Garcia Linera, remarked the importance of these types of events taking into account that all the indigenous peoples are now included in the Constitution. Two historians were in charge of explaining the context, the development and the results of this Congress in 1945. But, I think that one of the main conclusions of this conference was to develop the II Indigenous Congress in the future.

QUECHUA SINGER, GREGORIO MAMANI

Gregorio Mamani was born in North Potosi, Bolivia. He writes songs both in Quechua and Spanish, Here we have one of his compositions.

MELODIES FROM QUECHUAS

Norte Potosi is the name of a group that belongs to quechua indigenous people located in the south part of Bolivia, Potosi. They write and sing their songs both in their mother language, Quechua and Spanish.

PRESIDENT EVO MORALES, AN INFLUENTIAL LEADER

This midday May 1st. at Murillo´s Square President Morales took part in the celebration of labour day. During his speech, he congratulated the bolivian workers and signed a number of decrees that favor their situation as a labour force. Later, in the afternoon, we knew through the magazine Time, that President Morales, is the 10th. more influential people in the world according to the votation process received through this magazine.

According to this maganize, he received 1,477.789 votes which allowed President Morales to become one of the most influential people.

DAY OF PACHAMAMA, OUR MOTHER EARTH

A river crosses the south part of La Paz. This river used to be clean but now, it is polluted with chemicals that some industries throw to it. I think something similar or perhaps worse happens in other parts of the world.

How different it is to be in the middle of a blue sky and a blue lake, than to be in front of a polluted sky and a polluted river.

We are on time to do something for our pachamama, our mother earth.

Andean indigenous cultures call pachamama to the earth and it is perceived as a mother since, she provides all of us all we need to live.

PRESIDENT EVO MORALES ON HUNGER STRIKE

Since yesterday morning, April 9th., President Evo Morales Ayma is on hunger strike at the Government House at Murillo´s Square in La Paz, Bolivia. Today he said that he will continue on strike together with leaders of Conalcam and Cob which represent the most important organizations in Bolivia until the Congress aproves the transitory electoral Law. According to transitory dispositions of the new Bolivian Constitution Congress had 60 days to approve the electoral law. This time limit finished last Wednesday April 8th.

For more than 20 hours members of the Congress were debating without arriving to a decision, and members of the Senate integrated mostly by members of the opposition decided to abandon the session last Thursday night. It was supposed to reinitate session this morning but it was suspended because members of the opossiton were absent, however, it was declared other interval until seven o´clock today Friday 10th.

Today, at aproximately 14:00 President Morales said the aproval of the Electoral Law is important since it will allow to develop elections next December 8th. If approved this law, next December bolivians will be electing members of the first Plurinational Assembly according to the new Constitution. Other important aspect of the Electoral Law is that it will allow for the first time the vote of bolivians living abroad.

Social organizations are expecting what is going to happen this evening. Meanwhile, aproximately 30 groups of hunger strikers have been installed in different cities of Bolivia in support to the decision taken by President Morales and to demand the approval of the Electoral Law.

JALQAS DANCE FROM NORTH POTOSI

Music and dance that belong to the northern part of Potosí. Potosi is one of the cities of Bolivia. They are singing using quechua, one of the indigenous languages in the bolivian Andes.

MEETING NAVIGATING TITICACA LAKE

Yesterday, early in the morning President Evo Morales, Vicepresident Alvaro Garcia, all the Ministers and Viceministers departed from Tiquina Strait to Sun Island in Titicaca Lake on a ship built by the loca navy. The purpose of this travel along the Lake was twofold. For one part, to promote the Titicaca Lake as a natural wonder of the world and for other part, to work in order to decide some policies that could help empoverished population.

During the whole day in downtown La Paz, people were voting for Titicaca Lake and at Sun Island President Morales and all the State autohorities voted too. According to results, this Lake is occupying the first place in the category F about rivers and lakes. If you want to collaborate with your vote you can follow the link Titicaca Lake.

As mentioned, three resolutions were taken as a result of the meeting developed along the travel. One is the Decree about creation of the National Council of Cultures. Other Decree is concerned with a bonus to be given to pregnant women and to children between 0-2 years. During, his speech President Morales, remarked the decolonization process that is living Bolivia and an important part of this process is to recover the knowledge, history, literature, music and dance left by our ancestors.

Titicaca Lake has a special energy, energy which I hope could have filled in the hearts of our governors to continue working to benefit all the bolivian population.

Bolivian President in Qatar Summit

Bolivian President, Evo Morales Ayma, participates in the II Summit of arab and latinoamerican countries that takes place in Doha, Qatar. According to the information provided by bolivian chancelor topics of this big event are addressed to talk about cooperation in the cultural, economic, scientific, technological and educational areas. However, one of the most important topics is concerned with alternative proposals to solve problems derived from climate change that is affecting and will affect to all our countries.

Whether here or there, the focus on human beings in our relation to mother land is a central point, since if we continue damaging our planet ¿what will there be for our children in the future?

MINISTRY OF CULTURES

For the first time in the history of Bolivia, culture acquired a important place within the structure of the Bolivian State. Called before Viceministry of Cultures, it became Ministry of Cultures since last February with two Viceministries: Viceministry of Decolonization and Viceministry of Interculturality. A month later, March 6th. members of two indigenous peoples were named as Viceministers, ceremony that took place at Government House. With the presence of President Evo Morales, Vice President, Alvaro Garcia, Minister of Cultures, Pablo Groux, an indigenous aymara historian, Roberto Choque Canqui, and an indigenous quechua economist, Esthela Vargas, were officially designated as Viceministers.

During his speech, President Morales, said that the new authorities have a challenge and huge responsabilities with the country, which seeks to include indigenous peoples and non indigenous people in order to have a unified country. He added that, all of us are native, some are millennial natives in reference to indigenous peoples that inhabited these lands since ancient times and others are contemporary natives.

KALLAWAYA INDIGENOUS PEOPLES

Last Friday March 20th, Kallawaya, one of the ancient indigenous peoples in Bolivia, where visiting La Paz in order to show their products, mainly hand knitted clothes and ornaments. Different communities brought not only their products but also shared their music and dance.

Some years ago, they were declared by Unesco as inheritance of humanity and considering this situation and other aspects, they asked to the Parliament to have a representative within the next Plurinational Assembly which will be elected next year in Bolivia. According to what they say, they expect that their petition could be accepted by parlamentarians.

INDIGENOUS LEADERS

Our most important leaders are Tupak Katari and Bartolina Sisa. Although, it has gone long time, we always remember them because of their strength and courage in their fight against oppression and abuses, against forced labour in the silver mines in Potosi, against all the forced and high payments indigenous peoples had to do to the autorities in those times, before and after March 13, 1781.

Last, March 13th, in different places of El Alto and La Paz, indigeneous organizations developed meetings to remember our leaders.

EL ALTO ANNIVERSARY

Last March 6th. El Alto celebrated its 24th. anniversary. As it happens every year all the social organizations participated in this important event.

MY BLOG´S BIRTHDAY

It is my 85th. post since last year. Last February 28th. Indigenous Bolivia was born far from the place where I live now. Thanks a lot to the people that pushed me to start blogging in English.

From the beginning, I had one idea in my mind, to write about my indigenous origen and my culture. It is very important for me to continue writing about the different events, life, music, dance, etc.

I start a new year, a second year. I feel really happy.

Thank you very much for visiting this blog and you are always welcome.


¡Jallalla Indigenous Bolivia!

DANCING TARQUEADA

Music and dance in Huacullani, Tiwanaku, La Paz, Bolivia.

JALLU PACHA IN HUACULLANI

Jallu Pacha is an aymara expression and it means time of rain. During this time, in rural area people thank to mother land for the good production. So, yesterday Monday 23 Huacullani, a rural town was de place where people from the different communities from Tihuanacu meet there to thank to pachachamama (mother land) and to celebrate the production of potatoes and other local products.

Each rural community arrived to the main square of Huacullani with flowers, music and dance playing local rhytms such as tarqueada, pinkillada.

CARNIVAL HAS STARED

Carnival has started in Bolivia. Today there was a ch´alla. A ch´alla is a kind of ceremony where people thanks about what he or she has. Today public and most private offices worked only until two or tree in the afternoon. It was because, it it usual thay employes maka ch´alla in their offices or factories. They ch´allan their desks, their computers and all the instruments they use in the work. All the celebration during theses times, is accompanied by music, better ch´utas as we see in the video and tarqueadas.

MOTHER WATER

I know there are lots of families in the world who don´t have clean and safe water. But nature is generous too as in this case. Water flows permanently for years and years. Water goes to Titicaca Lake but I don´t know where it comes from. Families of Yumani town collect water from this place early in the morning everyday and it is carried on donkeys up to the houses.

MAYATA TUNKARU

Mayata tunkaru is a song composed by a bolivian folkloric group called Awatiñas. The lyrics is in indigenous aymara language and it teaches how to count numbers. The main part says: maya, paya, kimsa, pusi, phisqa, suxta... which means one, two, three, four and the rest of the numbers up to ten.

Eyes of hope

About 51% of El Alto population are women, mostly indigenous aymaras. As it has happened for long time, most of them don´t finish school, so when they come to urban areas there are not many opportunities to work. It is worse when there are small children. That´s why, a high percentage of women in El Alto work as sellers in the markets or on the streets. This type of activity allow women to earn some money and, at the same time, to take care of their children.

It can be anyday but during occasions as festivals or other big public events, there is a hope, the hope to sell, to earn something to feed her children.

During February 7th. in El Alto

The song "Viva mi patria Bolivia" is a song that bolivians sing during special occasions. This time it was played by a famous bolivian folk group named Tupay, as part of the celebration for the new bolivian Constitution in El Alto, Bolivia.

PRESIDENT EVO MORALES IN EL ALTO

Last January 25th. bolivians voted for a New Constitution. According to official results option Yes to this New Constitution won with more than 60% of support from the population. So, last Saturday President Evo Morales promulgated this Constitution in El Alto in the middle of a huge quantity of people who came from the indigenous communities and from other cities of Bolivia.

Last Constitution was made in 1967 and a partial reform was made in the 90' s. So, it was important to have a new document that includes indigenous peoples for the first time in the history of Bolivia.

There has been a long process to arrive to this moment in the history of this country. Silvia Lazarte, a woman from indigenous quechua origin, had an important role as President of Constituent Assembly where about more than 100 members elected by population worked to built a new Constitution.

BOLIVIAN VOICES SUMMIT

The first Bolivian Voices Summit took place last weekend in Cochabamba, Bolivia. Bolivian Voices started its activities more than a year ago in order to give voice to underrepresented groups in Bolivia.

Bolivian Voices Director, Eduardo Avila, organized this event where me and other members participated. During three days, people that participated since 2007 in the workshops to learn how to use blogs to show and share information about our cultures, about daily life, etc. in different cities within Bolivia, were able to have this meeting.

It was important for me to participate in this Summit, since it was an opportunity to know other bloggers from Bolivia and work together to analyze what has been done up to now and what else could be done in the future.

One of the activities was a workshop for new bloggers. I found this really interesting, because I met three people who play folk music and I was happy to help them to open their blogs. With the help of Eliana from La Paz, it was also possible to train them how to use twitter.

A public session, a workshop for new bloggers, a sessión only for members of Bolivian Voices, I think was an adecuate combination of activites planned for this succssesful event.

REFERENDUM 2009 IN BOLIVIA

¿Why is the New Bolivian Constitution so important? There are a lot of reasons. One of these, is in the first article, which says that Bolivia is a Plurinational, free, independent, intercultural, democratic State and with autonomies.

The inclusion of all the population in this Constitution is an important reform. Since the Constitution of 1826, most of the inhabitants belonging to the indigenous peoples were not included in this document, but now, it is not only recognized the existence of the indigenous peoples of high and low lands in Bolivia, but also their languages, their own spiritual beliefs and practices, etc.

One of the arguments used by the oppostion to this new Constitution said that it was discriminating. However, indigenous peoples and afrobolivians were discriminated for years. In many cases, no access or limited access to participate in the political power, no possibilites to education or health, many types of abuses, was something common.

We know that the application of the New Constitution may take some time, but there is a hope that all the laws and policies that could derive from this document can benefit all the people, not only to some families who governed Bolivia in the past.

JANUARY 25th, A "D" DAY IN BOLIVIA

When I returned to the school at 16:30, people in charge of the voting process were counting them. I stayed until about 18:00 and option Yes to the New Political Constitution won in all the suffrage tables in this school in El Alto.

I followed the news through a radio. Mass media says that option Yes won with more than 50%, and results will be presented officially in 25 days.

VOTING IN THE REFERENDUM

It was about 13:30 when I went to vote in my neighbourhood´s school in El Alto, La Paz. Fortunately, as I supposed it was not crowded as it used to be earlier in the morning for example. I approached the table where I had to vote, once checked my ID I had to sign in a kind of book. I was given the voting paper with a pen and I entered to one of the classrooms to vote. I came out of the classroom and put the voting paper on a box, after that my finger was marked with a violet ink and I was returned my ID and my suffrage certificate.

Voting in Bolivia is always on Sunday. Voting here is cumpolsory and one needs to present the certificate in banks and to make other transactions. During voting day there is no transportation, only, authorized cars can circulate, so, it is also an opportunity for families to be together, to speak with friends and neighbors.

Voting generally lasts 8 hours. So, more or at 16:30, the counting process begins. Votes are counted and verified one by one and they are registered on a blackboard.

This time, we voted for a new Political Constitution. It is the first time since 1825 that all the bolivian citizenship had the possibility to vote for a Constitution. This a change, a big change leaded by President Evo Morales.

THREE YEARS OF PRESIDENT EVO MORALES

Yesterday, a lot of people from rural and urban areas went to Murillo´s Square in order to participate in the celebration of the third year of the government of the first indigenous President in the history of Bolivia, Evo Morales Ayma.

Early in the morning, a new newspaper called "Cambio" was presented at the Government Palace. Most of mass media in Bolivia belong to the people of right wing, so it is important to have other kind of media too. Later, for about four hours President Morales informed about the results during the last three years and his plans for the next two years.

This January 25th. Bolivia will have a Referendum through which we will decide whether we want a new Political Constitution or not. Yesterday, it was the last day allowed for campaigns, so people stayed at Murillo´s Square to close the campaign for the "Yes" to the new Constitution too.

There is a lot of expectation on this Referendum. Campaigns for Yes or No, were at times conflictive. I will be writing more about this next Monday.

At the wedding

Part of the celebration.

AT A WEDDING IN ACHACACHI

Last Saturday I went to a town called Achacachi. Achacachi is indigenous aymara town which was celebrating its 183 anniversary. After participating in this celebration on the main square of that town, I went walking trying to find the house of a friend but suddenly I some people getting off a minibus. It was a couple of recently married arriving to a house, so I decided to take a picture. I approached the house when a cholita (aymara girl), told me ¡come in, take pictures to my sister...! With her permission I stayed for a while taking pictures of this wedding.

When the couple and the nearest family arrived they walked around the table twice as can be seen in the second picture. Later, other relatives started to arrive with presents.

DURING THE INAUGURATION

Music is an important part of life and, this time a group of Sun Island musicians played some melodies during the inauguration of the Centro de Información de Turismo Comunitario.

Arriving to Copacabana

Last Saturday I arrived to Copacabana after travelling for about three hours. I was going to buy a ticket to go to Sun Island when I saw a group of people from the communities. I wanted to know what it was, so I went to the place of the meeting. At that moment, they were starting a ceremony to inaugurate a Touristic Information Center from the community. I saw that this office also includes a shop to sell handcrafts made by women and men from Moon Island and two communities from Sun Island, Challa and Challapampa. According to the information I received, members of the communities participated in workshops and due to that they received their certificates too.