Bolivianas

The day when Evo Morales took office for the second time as President elected with 64% of the votes. Representatives of all indigenous communities gathered in Tiahuanaco, the most sacred place of the country, to witness the transfer of command. Indigenous communities account for 60% of the whole population of the country. Bolivia 2010.

Bolivia, 2009 — 2011
In December 2005 Juan Evo Morales Ayma won the election: for the first time in the history of South America an indigenous candidate become the president of the republic, and for the first time in Bolivia a president is elected with more than 50% of votes. Morales began his political journey as the leader of the “cocalero” movement fighting for the rights of the Bolivian coca growers. The main goal of his politics is to rise to power and integrating the native communities of the country. The native indigenous people are the absolute majority of the population and marginalized from political life. Bolivia is in the heart of South America, a chaos composed by infinite plateau, salt deserts, rain forests, steppes and hills; 36 indigenous ethnic groups are a part of the population of this country rich with ancestral traditions and contemporary spurs. These images represent a survey through the country, in this moment of change in popular consciousness, without knowing how will be in the future, but with the firm belief that they will not be able to turn back.

NFT’s of the series are available HERE.

Bolivia, 2011. The president Evo Morales raising the bolivian flag during an official cerimony in Oruro.

Bolivia, 2010. La Paz, capital city of Bolivia with an altitude of 4000 meters

Bolivia, 2010. Collection centre owned by a cooperative of coca leaf growers in Yungas. In 2008 Evo Morales expelled the DEA from the country and legalized coca cultivation up to 20,000 hectares for domestic consumption. The coca leaf is sacred in the Andean culture and it is regularly used as food and medicine.

Bolivia, 2011. On the anniversary of the foundation of El Alto a women’s battalion is waiting to march at civic military parade.

El Alto, La Paz, Bolivia, 2010

Bolivia, 2011. Hospital ship in the Ibare River, Puerto Almacén

Bolivia, 2009. Santa Cruz, base of the opposition movement to the president Evo Morales

Bolivia, 2010. Musicians relaxing after playing during the carnival parade

Bolivia, 2011. A strong landslide in La Paz destroyed two neighborhoods in their entirety

Bolivia, 2010. The studio of the national TV channel in La Paz

El Alto, La Paz, Bolivia, 2009

Bolivia, 2010. Early in the morning some dancers get ready for the carnival parade in Potosí.

Uyuni, Bolivia, 2010

Bolivia, 2009. The “Cory Mayo” mine at the base of the Cerro Rico in Potosí. The so-called “rich mountain” was the largest silver reserve in the world. It is believed that after being discovered 40,000 tons of pure silver were extracted from it and some 8 million people died inside. Today the mines are managed by local miners’ cooperatives.