ARTICLES OF Charles Bladon
Christmas in Translation
22 Dec, 2017 | Charles Bladon
Photo: Ivan Rodríguez PetkovicExploring the quirks and staples of a Bolivian ChristmasTurkey, Christmas trees, fairy lights, snow and a warm fire: these are a few things that instantly come to my mind...
The Andoro Experience
22 Dec, 2017 | Charles Bladon
Photo: Claudia PrudencioTransgressing the boundaries of performance in BoliviaAndoro is no musician alone. This was made clear the moment he stepped through the front door of the coffee shop and greet...
The Growing Pains of a Modernising City
29 Oct, 2017 | Charles Bladon
Photos: Adriana MurilloPreserving the Buildings of an Aging La PazTucked away around the corner of Plaza Murillo, a mere stone’s throw away from the Legislative Assembly, a structure that bears famili...
Casa de Hacienda Chijchipa
29 Oct, 2017 | Charles Bladon
Photo: Adriana MurilloA Converted Hacienda-Lodge With a History of RepossessionA warm, lush tropical forest hugs the walls of the converted hacienda. After removing the layers of clothes necessary to...
Partido Obrero Revolucionario
22 Nov, 2017 | Charles Bladon
Photo: Adriana MurilloThe old guard of Bolivian TrotskyismSince 1825, there have been 88 governments in Bolivia, with an average of 2.2 years per government. Chronic political instability has become s...
The Art of Revolution
22 Nov, 2017 | Charles Bladon
Photos: Fruzsina Gál and Charles BladonBolivia is no exception to the graffiti fad that has enthralled South America in recent decades. Discourse has taken a new format, taking issues rigorously...
El Valle de las Ánimas
23 Jul, 2018 | Charles Bladon
Photo: Gonzalo LasernaJust east of La Paz’s Zona Sur, the spires of el Valle de las Ánimas (‘Valley of the Souls’) hang over a carved-up glacial valley, resonating with a mystical quality. A mere one-...
Mayra Gonzales
23 Jul, 2018 | Charles Bladon
Photo: Jaime VargasA bastion of Bolivian folk musicNo doubt anyone who has paid mind to the music on the streets and in the nightclubs of La Paz would notice that the current generation is entranced b...
Such Great Heights / A Grandes Alturas
31 Jul, 2021 | Charles Bladon
Photos: Gabriel Vargas/ @gabrielvargasphotographerENGLISH VERSIONStretching across Bolivia’s heartlands and towering over La Paz and Lake Titicaca are the meandering cluster of mountains known as...
THE OLD GUARD OF BOLIVIAN TROTSKYISM / LA VIEJA GUARDIADEL TROSKISMO BOLIVIANO
31 Aug, 2021 | Charles Bladon
Photo: Dayme PaymalENGLISH VERSIONSince 1825, there have been 88 governments in Bolivia, with an average of 2.2 years per government. Chronic political instability has become somewhat intrinsic to the...
Feelings for the Night
22 Dec, 2017 | Charles Bladon
Photo: Esteban Terrazas SaraviaLa Paz. The sun dissipates and, with it, my urban trepidation. The night encroaches, accompanied by wonder and titillation. The night promises so much, the impossible se...
The Rebirth of Tourism in Bolivia / El renacimiento del turismo en Bolivia
31 Jul, 2021 | Charles Bladon
Photo courtesy of SelinaENGLISH VERSIONUpdates from the Selina La Paz HotelWith international travel happening more frequently, albeit nowhere near what it was pre-Lockdown 2020, tourists are tricklin...
A return to the Revolutionary Workers’ Party / El retorno del Partido Obrero Revolucionario
31 Oct, 2020 | Charles Bladon
ENGLISH VERSIONTheir fight to hold the government accountable to its people2 years ago, while in La Paz I attended the centenary of the Russian Revolution, hosted by the Trotskyist old guard, Partido...