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Published: August 10th 2008
As you may have noticed, I’ve left most of the blogging up to Nej so far since I know she definitely has a knack for colorful writing, and I have been pretty occupied with managing work for my anthropology project. But today, on el Domingo del Referendum, every business is closed, public transportation included, and travel on the streets is being restricted only to direct people to the polls and for those on official business. So, I find myself cooped up in our huge and empty house today with ample time to share my knowledge on some of the more serious topics, as well as additional cultural anecdotes, with our readers (after I spent some of the day attempting to cook up lunch since our maid Bernie has returned to her home town also to participate in the referendum - ps. growing up in the States and learning to be pretty independent in doing daily tasks makes me slightly uncomfortable with having such help, but domestic employees are commonplace in Bolivian homes).
On that note, I can go into a little more detail about the long time class struggle that has plagued Bolivia and has become the primary causal force for the roller coaster that is Bolivian politics. This also ties right into the study I am conducting on the tribe of traditional medicine men, Los Kallawayas, while here in La Paz. Since before the 12th century, the region which is now Bolivia was inhabited by small rural communities of indigenous tribes, one of which was the Kallawayas. Then, in the 12th century, a group called the Aymaras, using their superior military experience, advanced into the Kallawaya territory, forcing them to either assimilate or retreat into the protected valleys of the Andes mountains (most of the Kallawayas chose the latter option or became personal healers to Aymara and later Incan rulers and elite). Then, in the 15th century, the Incan empire pushed east from modern-day Peru and began to take control over the various occupying indigenous groups in the Altiplano (note- this includes the area only in the western area of Bolivia, between the western and eastern mountain chains of the Andes; the eastern part of Bolivia, including my birthplace of Santa Cruz, lies in the tropical Amazon region). The Incans reined over the area for several centuries, assembling a sophisticated empire, including some one of the most advanced road systems in the history of the world and a very stratified social system, complete with extensive astrological, mathematic, scientific knowledge and a strong religious belief structure. Then, European Imperialism struck Latin America, and the Spanish conquistadors (which included my ancestor Domingo Calvo in the mid 16th century, the beginning of the Calvo family in South America) began their campaign of brutal force, overthrowing the Incan empire and slaughtering and enslaving many natives. So began the racially and economically fueled class system in Bolivia.
Colonization and revolution are two historical terms we are very used to hearing as Americans, since we too went through a similar historical progression. Yet, the vital difference in the story of the Bolivia revolution and the American revolution is that by the time colonization ended and the European powers were ousted, there were still a majority population of natives in Bolivia, whereas the Native American population in the original 13 states of the Union was virtually wiped out or forced out west. In1825, the Spanish “haciendas,” or townships similar to feudal fiefdoms, were replaced by a newly formed Republic of Bolivia. Then, in 1952, the still young and tumultuous Republic underwent a Revolution, led by the poorer classes, with the main results of agrarian land reform and an attempt to stimulate the failing economy of Bolivia through reviving the mining and agricultural industries. However, more than 50 years later, not much progress has been made in this country which has experienced so much suffering.
Since the Spanish colonization of Bolivia, the social scene of the country has been divided into the have and have-nots. The wealthy and powerful Europeans have always since held the vast majority of political and economic power, whereas the indigenous peoples have been suppressed into poverty and powerlessness. Unfortunately, due to such ancestral history, the upper and lower classes are often defined in terms of race, with a very minimal existence of any middle class. For example, my father’s Calvo and Galindo lineages are Spanish, and like most of the original European families in Bolivia, there were basically no marriages between Europeans and Indigenous peoples. Thus, even after 500 years in Bolivia, my father’s family is light-skinned. Also, until this decade, every single Bolivian president has been light-skinned (four of which Nejla and I are directly related to) and of the long-standing aristocratic ruling class, despite the more than 60% indigenous population in Bolivia.
Sorry for the long-winded history lesson, but it is only with this knowledge can one understand why I find myself in the middle of one of Bolivia’s 2 capitals (the other being Sucre), on a very important political day. In 2004, a person of humble origins in the coca fields that supply most of the economic capital in Bolivia (the second poorest country in all of Latin America after Haiti) was elected as the first indigenous president since the formation of the Republic of Bolivia. It seemed to be a promising new beginning for the indigenous and impoverished majority of Bolivia, who now looked to Evo Morales to lead them out of the centuries long violent and tragic struggle to regain power of their homeland. However, four years later Bolivians find themselves more divided than ever, not only by class but also by region. Also, many fear the growing alliance between Evo and other socialist leaders such as Hugo Chávez and the Castros.
In response to the bloody protests and conflicts between regional leaders throughout Bolivia, President Evo Morales has challenged his country to prove that he is truly a leader of the people. So comes the Referendum, a day on which all the Prefectos (leaders of each of the 8 provinces) as well as Evo are submitting to the democratic power of the people. Today, in every province, Bolivians are heading to the poles to vote Sí or No for the continued leadership of their President and Prefecto.
The other night, while Nejla and I were in the company of about a dozen other 18-20 year olds, politics were obviously an unavoidable conversation topic, and for good reason. Nejla and I plan to stay tuned to the local news to see how the Referendum turns out, and what consequences will follow for the national identity of Bolivians.
~ Laura
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Dad
non-member comment
Nice summary of Bolivian history and some of the socio-political factors at work. I'm glad you're taking the opportunity to immerse yourselves in Bolivian current issues including the recall referendum which took place today.