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.