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  • Community meeting and informational session on the impacts of the two dams

    Bolivia: The Hostile Takeover of Indigenous Organizations

    On January 11, Mongabay reported on the pernicious impacts that El Chepete-Balas massive hydroelectric project would have on more than 5,000 indigenous people and the biosphere of the Madidi National Park and Pilón Lajas Reserve. The construction of two dams on Beni River’s Chepete Gorge and El Bala Gorge, respectively, is a project that dates…

  • Bolivia: The March for the Earth, the territory and for identity, returns home

    FROM THE EDITORS: After close to 100 days of resistance in Bolivia’s lowlands, indigenous representatives of the newly created Parlamento de la Naciones Indígenas de la Amazonía, Oriente y Chaco bolivianos (PNIAOC) decided to return home without the hoped dialogue with Luis Arce’s government, which instead organized parallel events to undermine this indigenous movement. The…

  • Notes from the XI Indigenous March in Bolivia

    I was able to spend part of the last week visiting with the XI Indigenous March for the Defense of the Territory, Identity and Culture of the Indigenous Peoples of the Lowlands in the city of Santa Cruz. The following text and photos are some of my initial impressions of the gathering of Indigenous peoples…

  • Pachamama, Pachamamistas, and Other Labels: A Few Notes of Caution

    In political debates in general, as well as in discussions about development strategies, it is very common to appeal to generalized and, therefore, ambiguous labels. Among the best known cases are the use of words like indigenous or Indian, and more recently, Pachamama. Some believe that it is enough to mention them to turn their…

  • “Re-encuentro con la Pachamama” in Bolivia: An Environmental Response to the Climate Crisis?

    Bolivia’s government marked the Day of Mother Earth—adopted internationally in 2009 through a UN resolution, thanks to Evo Morales’ stewardship—by launching an event called “Re-encuentro con la Pachamama.” The event was called forth by Bolivia’s Vice President David Choquehuanca, former foreign minister (2006-2017) and Aymara union and campesino organizer in the 1980s, whose leadership was…

  • Petition of the Bolivian Civil Society to Increase the Climate Ambition of the Plurinational State of Bolivia

    FROM THE EDITORS: This is an English translation of a communiqué signed by over 45 organizations in Bolivia, previous to the election, seeking commitment from the new Bolivian government towards climate justice policies.Source: https://www.compromisosporelclimabolivia.org, translated by Awasqa The warning of science is clear. If we do not leave fossil fuels underground and preserve marine ecosystems…

  • Thinking the World from Bolivia

    FROM THE EDITORS: Bolivia, before Evo, during his government and even after the coup, is a complex universe understood best by those who live its daily dynamic reality. That is why we turn to Rafael Bautista, an indigenous Bolivian philosopher, who makes an in-depth analysis of the political reality of his country. We leave you…

    Bolivia: Indigenous and Campesino Organizations Reconvene, Reject their Movements’ Politicization

    In public communiqués, several indigenous and peasant organizations in Bolivia summoned the social, environmental and indigenous movements, which suffered divisions after several years of politicization under the government of the Movement to Socialism (MAS) party and Evo Morales, to continue to resist extractivist policies of the old and current government. After proclaiming herself president of…