Yesterday Evo Morales was reelected as Bolivia´s president. His victory was such a given that folks don´t seem too interested in it, though perhaps in the campo feelings are more fiery.
On Friday I narrowly avoided spending some time in a Bolivian jail. For the 48 hours preceding an election of any kind in Bolivia it is prohibited to drink alcohol or have social gatherings. This year the 48 hours fell across Primer Viernes, or the first Friday of the month, during which it is traditional to hold a Koa ceremony, and, in the case of Red Tinku, follow it with a huge drunken traditional dance party. Story short- Tinku persisted in holding their party despite the law, I opted to leave relatively early when things began to get loud and rowdy, and at 2am the police showed up in riot gear, throwing cans of teargas and bashing in people´s stomachs with their clubs and rifles. A bunch of my friends spent the night in jail and a short TV spot has been running all weekend about how the Tinku folks are collecting and corrupting visiting foreigners. Anyhow, though breaking a dry law is not a good enough reason for me to justify a night in jail, the police violence is yet another echo of everything we´re fighting against. Onwards.
4 comments:
Sigh. Nod on the police violence.
I'm sure your mom was just thrilled to read this post! Glad you decided to go home early, let's hear it for good judgement by the gringa, Dale chica! Cuidate!
Yeah, she wasn´t super thrilled... but hey, I´m always careful- I´m an anxious kid, remember?
haha that is true you are sometimes :)
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