What started with a failed constitutional referendum to allow President Evo Morales to run for an additional term in 2020 and closed with an ongoing nationwide water crisis gripping rural and urban areas nearly equally, 2016 has been a very interesting, and some would say critical, year for Bolivia. And as the year comes to a close, we all are taking the opportunity to take it all in, and to wonder what it all has meant and what the future may hold. This year, if anything, has taught us that sometimes changes signify growth or improvement, and sometimes they signify deterioration or regression. But in either case, the process is both exciting and challenging.
We have accomplished a lot at Bolivian Express over the past year. We trained 40 journalists from seven countries in the past 12 months, and have opened more doors to collaborate with incredible writers and artists from all over Bolivia to help us share this amazing country with our readers. We launched our first book, Bolivia Out of Sight: Postcards from the Unreported, and are currently hosting a related photo exhibit at Ciclik, a café/restaurant in La Paz’s Sopocachi district. We’ve maintained relationships and created new partnerships with businesses and organizations all over the country, all vibrant collaborators who play an important role in making this publication what it is. So we want to take the opportunity to say ‘Thank You!’ to all our writers, designers, collaborators, advertisers, partners, and readers for everything you have done with and for us in 2016. We would not be here without you!
For many, a new year marks a time of change, of promised improvement. And we at this publication see this time of year the same way. This issue of Bolivian Express is our final issue for 2016, with our next publication hitting the streets in mid-February 2017. By that time, you will see many changes to the magazine. The team is currently working on reimagining who we are, what we are about, and what we have to offer. Today, some details are uncertain, but we will be excited to unveil a renewed organization, an invigorated publication, and an expansion of the larger Bolivian Express network that will allow for new ways to engage with the community around us.
In 2017, we will be different. We will be bigger. We will be better.
In the spirit of the impending renewal that comes at the end of every year, and in honour of changes coming ahead for this publication, this issue of Bolivian Express focuses on this idea of ‘metamorphosis’, of drastic and lasting change. This month, our contributors explore changes in society in the face of global challenges: how Bolivia’s water crisis is changing the way its urban inhabitants are adjusting to a new reality of rationing and uncertainty; how Latin America’s push for energy development is affecting communities in the Amazon located at the sites of large hydroelectric projects; how the significance and value of natural spaces reach new levels of importance as new species are identified and catalogued. We learn about the constant reimagining of icons, from generational perspectives on the significance of Che Guevara to modern artistic interpretations of Bolivia’s cholitas through new tattoo styles. And on more personal levels, we explore the redemption of young people who have turned away from a life of delinquency to create a better world for themselves and others, and a man who has taken on a superhero-like alter ego to use satire and sarcasm to ignite political discussions on social media.
These are just a few examples of change that you will find in the pages of this issue. And the variety of topics we address here clearly show that metamorphoses can happen in variety of ways, from how someone sees themselves in the world to the restructuring of national and international power structures. Hopefully the process brings positive change, like a classic image of a caterpillar emerging from its chrysalis as a beautiful butterfly.
So at the end of 2016 and the dawn of a new year, join us with this issue of Bolivian Express as we celebrate the joy and complexities of the process of perpetual rebirth.
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Photo: Theresa Edwards
The struggle over the dams in the Beni River
On a humid and sunny day I traveled back from Madidi National Park on a wooden boat to the town of Rurrenabaque. The muddy Beni River streamed calmly towards the park’s gateway to the Amazon, occasionally interrupted by various rapids. Halfway through the trip, the boat driver slows down, gazing into the distance. I see barbed wire strung across the width of the river coming closer. To my right, the riverbank is teeming with people, holding up banners with bold slogans such as: ‘¡No a las represas, si a la vida!’ (No to the dams, yes to life!)
Through the month of November, the El Bala Strait, located in the Madidi National Park, was host to several indigenous communities protesting against the plan to construct massive hydroelectric dams in their rivers.
Miriam Pariamo, vice president of the Center for Indigenous Women of North La Paz, explains the nature of la vigilia. ‘The government thinks it can just interfere in our territory, but we do not accept this,’ she says. Pariamo’s legal claims are based on Article 30 of the 2009 Bolivian Constitution, which recognizes right to autonomy and self-determination of indigenous nations as equal of that of the State’s justice system. The government, however, has yet to consult local communities on its plans to construct the dams. ‘We have been living here for centuries and the rivers belong to our territory,’ she says.
Many opponents of the dam believe the project will have devastating human and environmental consequences. According to the Fundación Solón, an organization that analyzes environmental issues, 1,931 square kilometers will be flooded, equaling five times the surface of La Paz. It will transform the the surrounding environment, destroying one of the most biodiverse places on Earth. The foundation estimates that as a result, 4,000 people will be displaced from their homes along with the species that live and grow in the area.
Pablo Solón, director of the foundation and an environmental specialist, says: ‘The idea for this dam already has been on the table since 1958, but until today it has never been realized.’ Last year, however, the National Electricity Company of Bolivia (ENDE) commissioned Geodata, an Italian engineering company, to conduct a study on the construction of hydroelectric dams in the Amazonian-based Beni River. In August of this year, the Geodata team finished its study and proposed a design that includes the construction of two dams, one at El Bala and the other at El Chepete. ‘It is the largest energy-related project in Bolivian history, but, surprisingly, the plans have never been officially released for the public,’ says Solón.
In an interview with Abya Yala, a Bolivian television station, engineer Eduardo Paz, who is the executive president of ENDE, elaborated on the government's plans. ‘Bolivia needs electricity like any other country in the world,’ says Paz. ‘The dams will produce 3,700 megawatts per year, which is more than we use in Bolivia. They will not only serve the Bolivian people, but will also be beneficial to our economy.’ The project is destined for exporting electricity to Brazil through a pipeline that will run across the country, from Rurrenabaque to the Brazilian town of Cujabá, 1,500 kilometers away.
In the interview, Paz says that the dams will only affect the area minimally. ‘It will only have an impact on 1.9% of the protected area and not the previously proposed 16%. We don’t want to harm the people there. We have taken them into account in our studies,’ he says. Moreover, the government calculates that the dams will create 60,000 direct and indirect jobs.
Solón questions the data and information released by the government, and claims the cost of the pipeline is not included in the budget proposed by Geodata. ‘6.3 billion dollars are estimated for the construction of El Bala and El Chepete alone,’ he says. ‘The investment for this project is incredibly large. It exceeds the country's total external debt.’ According to Solón, in a country like Bolivia, it is neither profitable nor viable to undertake the risk of such a large investment. ‘It is important that we as Bolivians participate in the discussion. The project doesn’t only mean a catastrophe for the Amazon. In the end, we are the ones who are paying for it,’ he says.
The government plans to begin constructing the dams in 2017 and to complete them by 2024. Nonetheless, they will have to deal with Pariamo and her fellow protesters to execute the project. So far, the protesters have managed to expel the Geodata engineers from the area and to hold the strait of El Bala for several weeks. Pariamo pledges to ‘keep on fighting until the government puts its plans aside’.
‘We will keep on fighting until the government puts its plans aside.’ - Miriam Pariamo, Center for Indigenous Women of North La Paz.
The economic costs of energy are high, but with the construction of the dams the people at the Madidi National Park will also pay a price. The flora and fauna of the Amazon will be lost, people's ways of life will disappear, and a portion of “the lungs of the world” will be destroyed. To prevent this, it seems the people at El Bala will raise their voices and defend their rights to protect Pachamama to the bitter end.
Photo: Alexandra Meleán
Chefs transform traditional food into a gastronomic experience
While living in La Paz, I have inherited much of Bolivia's food traditions, from early morning salteñas to chuño and choclo for lunch on the altiplano, and from the countless soups to anticuchos after a night out. Which is nothing to say of the enormous amounts of pollo frito. These dishes are some of my favorites in Bolivia, as they are for millions of Bolivians too. Basic ingredients such as quinoa, potatoes, and yuca are characteristic of the Andean menu, and they’ve also become part of the much of the rest of the world’s diet.
Ona Restaurant is a new gastronomic establishment in town, and it celebrates the culinary traditions of the country by presenting an innovative menu. It is located in Zona Sur, where a gourmet dining scene has flourished over the past few years. Ona is located in the Atix Hotel, and it opened its doors officially in December. The young chefs here offer an a la carte menu as well as an attractive prix fixe of seven courses that provides a tour of the flavours and tastes of Bolivia.
Head chef Juan Pablo Reyes explains the concept of the restaurant, which focuses on remembrance and memory. ‘In our menu, we bring up flavours that people remember,’ he says. ‘It is maybe aesthetic, but the idea is that when guests come to eat here, they will recognize the flavours of the food and relate it to their memories.’
Reyes and his team transform these memories into mouthwatering gastronomic delights. ‘We mainly work with fresh, seasonal and locally sourced ingredients, and apply different techniques to the preparation of the dishes,’ says Reyes. The ancient Andean ingredients are transformed into new culinary experiences by modern techniques. Traditional and known flavours are given a new presentation.
As I’ve only been living in La Paz for three months, I am curious if Reyes’s menu allows me to recall my short-lived Bolivian culinary experience. The starting cocktail is promising; Andean gin La República served with local herbs evokes memories of nights out in La Paz. The next item, yuca shaped into a carrot, was followed up by a must-have on any Bolivian menu: soup. The creamy base of native potatoes might be a safe choice, but the additional beet tortellinis stuffed with more potato give it an extra culinary touch. Continuing my fine dining journey, I try a pretty and fine-tuned plate consisting of smoked trout cream buried under a bed of Andean seaweed, native potatoes and lettuce.
After devouring these small dishes, I'm ready to be surprised by the main courses, but first a refreshing lemon-based sorbet to prepare myself. More trout is served, this time fried and marinated in herbs and grains accompanied with a variety of potatoes. It reminds me of my journey to Lake Titicaca, where this delicacy is farmed. Then I enjoy an entrecôte served with typical products of Bolivian soil, such as callampa mushrooms and arracacia. And last but not least, a scoop of cinnamon ice cream, traditionally eaten in the country’s plazas by many Bolivians on the weekend.
After more than satisfying my appetite, I reflect on the meal. The flavours and tastes presented were not unknown to me; the ingredients that were used are common in any Bolivian kitchen. The menu translates into my memories of Bolivian food; I recognize the different components of the dishes and relate it to the food I ate.
The chefs at the Ona – which means ‘gift’ in Pukina, a now-extinct language originating on the shores of Lake Titicaca – have succeeded in executing their concept. I will remember this experience, dining on new interpretations of traditional Andean cuisine, as an exciting summary of the flavours I have enjoyed in Bolivia.
Image: Courtesy of Chicho Serna
The caretaker of civil society
He is an ordinary guy who wears a hat and a black mask to express his critiques of the government and society. When he speaks, his words are heavy with irony. Nightly surveillance through social networks has allowed him to denounce abuses of power by politicians, bad social behavior, corruption, or simply promote a good attitude. In one post, he writes, ‘The horn, the world's fastest and cheapest intelligence test,’ in reference to the chaos and traffic of the streets of Santa Cruz. He informs people of what is happening in the city through funny photos and memes instead of traditional reporting.
Here, Fede Morón shares his story and tells us about his transformation into the Black Cat.
Fede was born in Santa Cruz. He studied advertising and currently works as an independent publicist in a creative laboratory and is responsible for educational campaigns on social networks. He is also the creative director of Revolución Jigote and the Black Cat Workshop, where he produces his books and other personal projects.
‘It took me several years to realize that I'm not a fan of advertising... I hate advertising,’ Fede admits. ‘But I use that hatred as a creative resource in my work. Basically everything that is unfair or or disrespectful bothers me. When I see things that other people overlook or do not want to see, it makes me say critical things.’
Fede found his voice through the personification of the Black Cat. ‘I learned to use the black cat to play, to have fun, to hide or amuse myself, to be semi-hidden,’ Fede explains. ‘As a boy, I gave myself this nickname because I had a fascination with cats, in particular with black cats.’
His personification of the black cat is accompanied by a hat and a mask. For many people, he has become an opinion leader. His posts are very popular and his faithful followers constantly share and re-tweet the messages of this character. ‘Somehow you can say I am an opinion leader in social networks, although I do not like the title,’ Fede says. ‘Basically, I say things that many people have thought or have been close to thinking.’ In this way, he presents hilarious images by twisting and playing with words.
Fede has published two books. His first one was published in 2012 and is called, The Statuses of The Black Cat: Statuses of a Bolivian in Facebook Times. The sequel came out in 2013, under the title, The Statuses of The Black Cat II, and he is working on a third publication to be released at the Santa Cruz book fair next year.
‘I do not consider myself a writer. I consider myself a loquito with two books,’ Fede laughs. ‘In these books are the statuses or comments that I’ve made on social networks. What I basically did was take different pieces of news or events and publish about them, using black or absurd humor and sarcasm. I think that humor is the concrete way to talk about serious things, and that's why I use it a lot.’
The Black Cat intends to spread courage to the people so they can become socially conscience of their city and its authorities. He complements Fede Morón not only as an alter ego, but also a vigilante.
