Cochabamba: Chilean citizen gunned down in broad daylight

  A 46-year-old Chilean citizen was attacked by a man, presumably also a foreigner, who shot him four times in different parts of his body. The police presumes that there are other people involved in this case.

The departmental commander of the Police, Rubén Lobatón, informed that a man of Chilean nationality who used crutches to move around with his partner was getting into his vehicle after leaving a micro-market on América Avenue between Héctor Cossio and Washington Streets. When the victim entered her vehicle and while the woman was surrounding the van, a man appeared to directly fire five shots: four in the man's body and one in the vehicle.

In the images of the security cameras of the businesses, it is observed -before the shots were fired- two subjects walking seconds after the victim, together with her partner, was leaving the micro-market. One had a helmet and a backpack, while the other only had a backpack.

Lobaton said that plan "Z" was activated to find this or other subjects who participated in this attack against the Chilean. The investigations have already begun and with the support of the security cameras of the neighboring properties it will be possible to catch the alleged perpetrators of the bloodshed. According to witnesses who were there when the bloodshed occurred, everything was quiet as usual, until they heard a scream and gunshots; they did not leave out of fear, but they did see the woman (wife of the Chilean), trembling and nervous.

"It was all normal, until I heard gunshots. I got scared, I was afraid. It was gunshots and I did not go out or help, I stayed and hid", was the account of one of the witnesses. 

Unofficially it is known that the health of the Chilean is delicate due to the fact that the bullet impacts compromised organs that complicate his recovery. The wounded man was taken to the María de los Ángeles clinic, where he underwent surgeries to save his life; however, he lost his left eye due to the bullet impact. The police authority indicated that the case is under investigation. There are several hypotheses, among them, a settling of scores.

Sixth day of blockade in Guarayos: Desperation among transporters who run out of food and water

Intercultural farmers no longer allow any vehicles to pass. There is desperation among the drivers who are carrying animals without food and water. The line is estimated to be 5 kilometers long. The government has not yet arrived at the site.

Drama in the Santa Cruz province of Guarayos. Without a break for the passage of vehicles, a long line of heavy transport trucks, approximately 5 kilometers long, was left halfway. Stranded, with cargo and animals, without water and food. 

Traffic on the highway that connects Santa Cruz with Trinidad has been closed for six days by a large group of intercultural peasants, settled in two communities - San Antonio del Junte and Cerro Grande - whose main demand is to seek justice for the death of young Franklin Delgadillo and a solution to the land conflict.

Óscar Llave, one of the many truck drivers stranded since Thursday night, told EL DEBER Radio about the hours of anguish and desperation they have had to live in the middle of the highway. 

"We are tired of waiting in these conditions. This situation is going to get out of control, there could be confrontations," he said in a brief interview. 

The line is so long, he continued, that from where he is he cannot see the area where the group of peasants is in the Cerro Grande community. 

Like the rest of those affected, he is asking the Government to take action, to solve the conflict and for the intervention of the Police.

Llave also indicated that since it is harvest time, there are shipments of rice and corn that must reach their destination to be distributed.

ABC registers seven blockades in Bolivia's main highways

 The Bolivian Highway Administration (ABC) reported up to 09.23 a.m. this Friday seven blockades due to social conflicts, four in La Paz, one in Beni and two in Santa Cruz.

In La Paz, the blockades are located on the Tambillo-Tihuanacu, Tihuanacu-Guaqui, Guaqui-Desaguadero and Nazacara-San Andrés de Machaca roads. 

The first three are obstructing transportation to Peru and are related to the communities' demand for the construction of the Río Seco-Desaguadero dual carriageway. The police announced hours ago that they are waiting for the order to intervene on these routes.

The blockade in Beni is on the Cerro Chico-Beni road, at the height of the San Pablo bridge. It is located close to one in Santa Cruz (Ascensión de Guarayos-Cerro Grande). Both are related to the conflict over the seizure of lands confiscated from U.S. businessman Jacob Ostreicher, a conflict that caused the death of one person last Saturday. The protesters are demanding that the authorities find those responsible for the death.

Another blockade in Santa Cruz is on the Buena Vista-Yapacaní highway and was set up to demand the school basket.

The ABC advised drivers to drive very cautiously, due to the rains on the roads.

In the sector of Puente Chaco-Puente Villa (La Paz), for example, the river overflowed, dragging material on the platform.

"In case of persistent rainfall or snowfall, stop and look for a widening until visibility conditions improve," he recommended. 

Protest against YPFB paralyzes downtown La Paz

  Tanker drivers are blocking the central avenue 16 de Julio, in La Paz, to demand Yacimientos Petrolíferos Fiscales Bolivianos (YPFB) to cancel the contracting process that they qualify as "discriminatory" because it affects 1,000 direct jobs.

The road closures are being observed from Montes Avenue, in the vicinity of the Bolivian National Brewery (CBN), to the Plaza del Estudiante, at the end of El Prado, where fuel trucks were parked on the roads where public and private transport circulates, reported Página Siete.

"We are complying with this measure because we feel discriminated against by YPFB. They are leaving 1,000 families without work directly and more than 5,000 indirect jobs because of this discrimination we are suffering," said one of the protesters.

"We are really asking for the cancellation of this hiring, since we are leaving around 1,000 families without work, including drivers, mechanics and others," another driver told Unitel.

"There are more than 600 tanker truck drivers affected with this hiring process. We are small companies, drivers of families that have been affected and without jobs. The intention is not to harm public transport, but to dialogue with oilfields, from whom we hope that they will call us to dialogue", said another of those affected.

Why is Father's Day celebrated in Bolivia on March 19?

 It is necessary to go back to 1974, when Hugo Banzer Suárez was president. On the other hand, according to the Government, parents have a tolerance of half a working day.

March 19 in Bolivia is reserved for celebrating fathers. It is a date instituted in the Bolivian calendar and recognized by the State. In fact, this Friday the Ministry of Labor issued a statement indicating that this Saturday, March 19, they will enjoy a half day of work tolerance.

"This a just tribute to all dads, they will have a shorter working day," said the General Director of Labor, Yecid Mollinedo, in a press release.

But, why does Bolivia celebrate fathers on this day? It is necessary to go back to May 24, 1974, when Hugo Banzer Suárez was president and ordered, through a supreme decree, that March 19 is to honor the role of fathers in the family nucleus and in the development of the country.

This tribute was inspired by 'Saint Joseph, husband of the Virgin Mary', who is a central character in the Catholic faith. The Catholic Church celebrates St. Joseph on March 19.

And in honor of the father of Jesus' upbringing, whose trade, according to the Bible, was carpentry, the Carpenter's Day is also celebrated in our country on March 19.

This date also coincides with Radio and Television Workers' Day. 

Teachers clash with police in La Paz and ratify strike on Friday

  The 31 departmental and regional federations that make up the Confederation of Urban Education Workers of Bolivia (Cteub) staged a protest march yesterday in the city of La Paz demanding the government to increase the education budget through the provision of newly created items, as well as attention to their demands.

The protest began in the afternoon at the CBN bridge and ended at the Ministry of Education building located on Arce Avenue. The teachers reported several injured people in the midst of the gassings carried out by the Police.

The national executive of the Cteub, Patricio Molina, warned that if the urban teachers do not receive an answer to the demand for at least 2 thousand more items requested to the Ministry of Education, they will go on strike for 24 hours this Friday, blocking roads and suspending activities in educational units throughout the country.

In this regard, the Minister of Education, Edgar Pary, asked the urban teachers to resume the dialogue and to stop their pressure measures. However, Molina indicated that they are waiting for the convocation of the Minister of Education to talk about the provision of new items.

"In 2020 no items were delivered, in 2021 1,700 items were delivered and in 2022 3,300 items were delivered. I believe that with that we have covered many expectations and needs (...). We invite the teachers to continue dialoguing, debating and we will continue to meet all the needs they raise, based on the economic capacity of the national government", said Edgar Pary.

During this and last week, the Ministry of Education and the Cteub held meetings where they tried to solve the conflict, but could not reach an agreement.

Molina assured that they received a counter-proposal to advance in the following points: "attention to the historical deficit, they proposed to provide 10,500 hours, but the debt amounts to more than 100 thousand, and to deal with the issue of optimization so as not to close or merge courses".

Among the urban teachers' requests is also the leveling of hours, quality and warm attention in the National Health Fund and compliance with all the agreements previously signed with the Ministry of Education.

Finally, the Vice-Minister of Alternative Education, Sandra Cruz, indicated that they have not yet received reports from the departmental education departments about the alleged absence of teachers in their educational units.

 Rural teachers

On Tuesday, rural teachers signed an agreement with Minister Edgar Pary, for the assignment of workloads.

With this agreement, the Government expects to reduce the strength of the mobilizations of the urban teachers sector, who are carrying out demonstrations in the city.

Parents reject marche

The general secretary of parents of La Paz, Rudy Llampa, yesterday rejected the attitudes of the teachers of the Urban Teachers in an attempt to expand their call for a march next Friday.

"The parents, organically represented by their district, regional, departmental and national executive presidents, we reject, from every point of view, this attitude of the Magisterio Urbano," he said.

He assured that, if the teachers do not show up at their work sources and in the classrooms for going to marches and blockades, they will present a report to the Ministry of Education so that they can be economically sanctioned.

The Prosecutor's Office confirms that the remains found are those of Jamin and his family will watch over them starting today.

 The child died on February 28, the same day he went missing, according to the date of death determined by the autopsy.

Due to the degree of decomposition in which the mortal remains were found, the Prosecutor's Office of La Paz confirmed that the body found in the Yungas corresponds to Jamin Quispe, the 11 year old boy who disappeared on February 28, informed the Prosecutor of Crimes Against Life, Dubravka Jordan. The parents transferred the remains to a funeral home, to install the wake from today.

"The thanatologist doctor has determined as cause of death mechanical asphyxia by submersion (he died by drowning), in that understanding the delivery of the body has been arranged so that the family can arrange for the corresponding burial. The date of death is the same day of the date of disappearance, February 28th of this year, when he would have fallen into the river", informed the prosecutor Jordán on Wednesday night.

The official explained that one of the main evidences to conclude that it is the child's body is the dental arch, which was recognized by his mother, specifically a piece that is the left canine.

However, he anticipated that a DNA test will be done to confirm the results, which will be known in the following days.

The minor's father, Moises Quispe, said that Jamin's remains will be buried tomorrow, Friday.

"According to the teeth and the skull, they resemble the mother's features. We are coordinating with the funeral home to wake him and bury him on Friday," said Moises, in contact with Unitel.

"We will not be able to forget him and it is a pain that will not pass, because his things and his room are there. These two weeks were uncertain, where is he, how is he and what has he done. Then we asked several questions about what could have happened, but today when we picked him up we are 100% sure that it is him," he said.

Homicide personnel added that in addition to the dental plate, the remains match the height and skin tissue. 

Five Bolivians who fled the war in Ukraine arrive

  Five Bolivians who fled the war in Ukraine arrived in the country on Monday.

They are David Martínez, a musician, and his family (his wife and two daughters), and Óscar Humbertovich. Martinez's family will stay in La Paz and the latter will return to Cochabamba.

"In Ukraine we had more than 70 Bolivians, when the events started to happen, we took precautions, we started to contact one by one the people we had registered, talk to them to see if they would stay or leave, 17 told us they would leave, to successfully make this departure viable, we moved our staff to Poland, where the Argentine embassy made us a space to work. There we monitored them, there was no documentation, safe-conducts have been generated", said the Chancellor Rogelio Mayta.

The data indicate that of the 17 nationals who asked to leave Ukraine, 12 chose to move to other European countries, and five decided to arrive to national territory. In the case of David, he is a musician returning after 30 years.

"To thank, this has been very difficult, everywhere we have been we have received support, everywhere they have supported us, there is a person who supported us when we left alive from Ukraine, is Alex Diaz Mamani, from the first day, to thank on behalf of our family all the Government, which does not forget their compatriots", said the musician.

Out of 98 discrimination complaints in 1 year, 90% are against public entities

 Despite the fact that Matamba and the owner of the accused restaurant embraced in reconciliation, the Vice Ministry of Decolonization filed a criminal complaint for discrimination and reported that it will follow up on the case.

In one year, the Vice Ministry of Decolonization received 98 complaints of racism and discrimination. Of this number, according to the authorities, 90% of the cases are against public entities, among the main ones are the Police and institutions in the areas of justice, health and education.

"The National Committee against Racism and all forms of Discrimination -in 2021- attended 98 cases of racism and discrimination facts, of which more than 90% were made in public institutions", explained to Página Siete the general director of Fight Against Racism and All Forms of Discrimination, under the Vice-Ministry of Decolonization, Daniel Villarroel Achá.

According to the authority, during 2020 no cases were reported because that year the Ministry of Culture closed, but a year later it resumed this work.

Villarroel said that among the most reported public institutions are the Police and public institutions that provide justice, health and education services. "Those are the most recurrent," he said.

The authority explained that the type of complaint "did not change substantially", as people continue to be discriminated against because of "their origin, skin color, clothing and language".

On Wednesday, the singer Juan Carlos Chiorino Basurco, better known as Matamba, denounced through social networks that he was a victim of discrimination by the owner of the restaurant Brasargent Rodizio & Churrasquería in Santa Cruz, Ruth Paniagua. According to the artist's account, one of the workers asked him to leave because his shoulders were uncovered.  She told him that "his clothes were inappropriate to be in that place".

In view of this situation, the vice-minister of Consumer Defense, Jorge Silva, informed on Thursday that the store was fined 23,000 bolivianos.

Yesterday, Paniagua and Matamba met and hugged each other. The woman apologized to him and the artist accepted.

Despite the meeting, Decolonization personnel informed that they will continue with the lawsuit. Yesterday, the management filed a complaint against the owner.

Villarroel said that according to Law 045 Against Racism and all Forms of Discrimination and the powers of the Committee to Combat Racism, this directorate initiated criminal proceedings against the owner of the restaurant. "The complaint was filed before the Public Prosecutor's Office of Santa Cruz, as well as before the municipality of Santa Cruz so that the persons who committed this crime are sanctioned by criminal and administrative means".

The restaurant will also be required to eliminate from its internal rules any restriction that generates discrimination. 

He added that follow-up will be made so that the complaint ends with sanctions.

Villarroel said that according to his reports, in 2021 only one case of discrimination was reported in a restaurant in La Paz. "A citizen who was asking for resources, was expelled shouting, with insults, from a restaurant. The incident was caused by a foreign citizen. In the same way, said local was subject to the corresponding sanctions".

According to the authority, in 2021, 16 disciplinary sanctions were achieved to public servants for this crime. "There were policemen with definitive discharges, in addition to a servant of the Executive Committee of the Bolivian University (CEUB) was removed," he explained. 

DNA test rules out that Waldo Albarracín is the father of the girl for whom he is being prosecuted.

The result of a DNA test, issued by the Institute of Forensic Investigations (IDIF), established that the former rector of the Universidad Mayor de San Andrés (UMSA) Waldo Albarracín is not the father of the minor in the case of the alleged crime of abandonment of a pregnant woman.

According to the conclusive part of the document states that "the blood sample of Mr.: Waldo Albarracín and the minor J. Z. A. are not genetically compatible for a biological paternity relationship".

"Mr.: Waldo Albarracín Sánchez excludes himself as the biological father of the minor", the document adds.

The result was made known after the Second Court of Criminal Precautionary Instruction of the South zone, on February 3, determined the house arrest for the also former Ombudsman, who is facing a process for the crime of abandonment of a pregnant woman.

This process was opened in March of last year by Jhanett Z.A.P. who denounced that she was abandoned by Albarracín when she was five months pregnant and that she had not even paid for family assistance.

Both her defense and the accused denied the charges and questioned the attitude of the woman whom they accused of being used "politically" in the case.

In 37 years El Alto became the second largest city in terms of population and leader in production

 It is a strategic point for commercial distribution, which is reflected in its productive units. Of its enterprises, more than 30% are dedicated to commerce, the second category is construction. 

This March 6, El Alto celebrates 37 years of life. In these almost four decades of accelerated growth, the young city has become the second most populated city in the country. Its 14 districts are home to more than 30,000 productive units, a third of those legally registered in the entire department of La Paz.

Due to its strategic location, El Alto is an obligatory corridor for exports, which encourages its vocation in the areas of commerce and construction.

"Our eternal gratitude to our brothers from El Alto. We recognize the struggle of this courageous and tireless people. It is a people that has taught us the way to recover our democracy and our natural resources," said President Luis Arce on the eve of March 6.

The second most populated

The municipality of El Alto is located in the west of the country, in the high plateau and has an area of 387.56 square kilometers. It was created under Law 628 of March 6, 1985, as the fourth section of the Murillo province of the department of La Paz. It was not until September 26, 1988 that Law 1014 elevated it to city status.

In a previous interview with Página Siete, Gregorio Romero, one of the founders of El Alto (who died last October), detailed that the city was born with 307,403 inhabitants. The data was taken from a file on the birth of the city, which he treasured with devotion.

On sheets of paper yellowed by time, he kept the distribution of those first inhabitants in a typed list of the pioneer neighborhoods of El Alto: Bolivar A, Villa Dolores, Alto Lima, 16 de Julio I, 16 de Julio II, 12 de Octubre, Ballivián I, Ballivián II, Tejada Rectangular and Los Andes.    At that time there were only two sub-districts: north and south.

Today, that handful of houses scattered along the border with the seat of government has become one of the largest cities in the country. It has 14 districts, of which 10 are urban and four are rural.

According to projections by the National Institute of Statistics (INE) for 2022, El Alto has 1,109,048 inhabitants. In 37 years it managed to consolidate itself as the most populated city in the department of La Paz and the second at national level; below Santa Cruz de la Sierra (1,903,398 inhabitants) and above the seat of government (956,732 inhabitants).

While the average annual intercensal population growth rate for La Paz is -0.3%, for El Alto it is 2.4%. Although this is a significant figure, it is still below Achocalla, which has 3.4%.

 In line with the national trend, but not as pronounced, 51.3% -majority- of the population are women. Men represent 48.7%.

A report by the Dirección General de Análisis Productivo (Dapro) indicates that the population of the municipality of El Alto has a young age profile. It highlights that the majority of its inhabitants are between 10 and 19 years of age. In other words, unlike La Paz and Bolivian society, which is beginning to age, in the young city the majority of children, adolescents and young people are still young. 

But, of the more than one million inhabitants who are Alteños by heart and by conviction, there is a percentage who are also Alteños by birth. They are the inhabitants who were born in the young city after 1988, in a city already constituted. This group is between zero and 35 years of age and carries in their blood the mark of a thriving town.

"The young Alteño is enterprising, eager for progress without leaving aside his identity. We are children of migrants from La Paz, from the provinces, from the mines of Oruro and, therefore, a mixture of the most traditional of our Andean culture and the aspects of a completely modern city", defines Juan Pablo Copa. He is 35 years old and proudly assures: "I am from El Alto".

An urban center

At the level of the Murillo province, the municipality of El Alto stands out for its rate of urbanity, surpassing even the seat of government in this indicator and contrasting with the municipalities of Palca and Mecapaca, which are completely rural.

According to data from INE and the Ministry of Productive Development and Plural Economy (MDPyEP), the distribution of the population by area in El Alto corresponds to 99.8% in urban areas and 0.2% in rural areas. In the seat of government, 99% of the population is urban and 1% is rural.

A Depro publication from 2021 explains that currently the municipality of El Alto has 14 municipal districts, of which ten are recognized as urban (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 12 and 14) and four as rural (9, 10, 11 and 13).

"The demographic growth of the population of El Alto is one of the significant factors in urban expansion in the last decade. Consequently, the urban area of the city of El Alto is structured with a radial layout, combined with a grid layout. In relation to the process of district delimitation, changes in its jurisdictional delimitation were developed between 1997 and consolidated until 2013," he explains.

He adds that the proximity of the communities to the urban area is accelerating the changes from rural to urban land use. He warns that this allows illegal human settlements that encourage a land market without having the legal regulation completed. This has repercussions on legal insecurity in terms of property rights. 

Commerce and construction

According to the Bolivian Registry of Commerce, the Current Business Base (BEV) of the municipality of El Alto at the end of 2021 was 30,167 productive units legally registered in that city. During that period, 2,260 companies were created, which implies a 53% growth compared to those created in 2020, when 1,475 companies were registered.

"This increase in the registration of companies is a reflection of the reactivation and recovery of the economy," states the MDPyEP's Eco Bolivia bulletin, issued on March 3.

According to Fundempresa, 86% of the BEV belongs to sole proprietorships, while the number of limited liability companies exceeds 4,000 economic units. In addition, the municipality of El Alto has slightly more than 60 companies incorporated as corporations. Likewise, 36% of the established companies are dedicated to the commercial sector and 34% to the productive sector. The remaining percentage is dedicated to different types of services. "It is perceived that one of the factors that notoriously affects the tertiary character of the productive profile of the municipality of El Alto is the presence of many economic units dedicated to the commercial activity", indicates the Productive Report of the municipality of El Alto 2021, published by the Depro.

In the productive sector, the most representative sector is construction, followed by manufacturing industry. There are also companies in the areas of mining and quarrying; agriculture, forestry and fishing; water, sewage and waste management; and electricity and gas supply.

In terms of services, in descending order, there are companies in transportation and storage services; professional and technical services; information and communications; accommodation, meals, administrative services; education, health and social assistance; financial and insurance intermediation; and arts and entertainment activities.

"Despite its large tertiary sector, the municipality of El Alto has conditions for the development of industrial activities such as high-voltage electric power connections, natural gas networks, and local and international telephone communication services and fiber optic connections. These conditions allow it to generate a productive dynamic of some large and medium-sized companies, but mainly small enterprises in the areas of food, clothing made in small industrial, manufacturing and handicraft units," states the same document.

It adds that the fairs in different areas and districts, where there is the purchase and sale of all kinds of products, are the activities of greater representation in terms of informal trade in El Alto. Undoubtedly the most famous is the 16 de Julio Fair, known worldwide as the emblem of El Alto.

A gateway to export Bolivian products to the world. 

El Alto's geographical position makes it a strategic point for export, import and commercial distribution. It has access by air and land to the city of La Paz. It is also a connection point with the ports of Ilo (593 km), Arica (457 km) and Matarani (787 km) on the Pacific. It is connected to Oruro through 6 de Marzo Avenue - road to Oruro, which connects with the road to Arica, as well as with Cochabamba. The Juan Pablo II Avenue - Panamerican Highway connects to Desaguadero.

The first order roads are characterized for being structuring to the international transit roads, interdepartmental and municipal roads.

According to the document El Alto in figures, published by the INE last week, the main exit doors for export goods are located in the young city. These are the International Airport and the El Alto Industrial Free Trade Zone.

According to data published by the INE, the movement of goods through these customs reached US$2,742 million in 2021. The main route was the air terminal.

While US$2,741.87 million left through El Alto International Airport, only US$0.11 million left through the Free Trade Zone.

Other economic data

According to data from the Financial System Supervisory Authority, 99.9% of loans in the city of El Alto are in local currency, as are 95.5% of deposits.

Also, according to the MDPyEP, tax collection in the city of El Alto reached 324 million bolivianos. The amount increased by 26% compared to 2020, reflecting the economic reactivation.

As of October 2021, according to official data, El Alto's executed public investment reached US$91 million, while in the same period of 2020 it reached US$55 million. 

  

Investigation reveals sale of indigenous girls for sex trade

 The investigation reveals that the Yuqui, Weenhayek and Ayoreo peoples hand over minors to be prostituted in urban centers. The Ombudsman's Office asks for more attention to indigenous communities.

The Yuqui people are on the verge of disappearing. State neglect has forced this indigenous community - located in the Chapare province of Cochabamba department - to abandon their territory and engage in illicit activities. One of them is the sale of girls for the sex trade in the Cochabamba tropics. The same happens with members of two other indigenous peoples, the Weenhayek and the Ayoreos, according to a social investigation.

For the past two decades, the Yuqui have suffered strong social discrimination. The poverty in which they live and the incursion of settlers into their territories - mostly coca growers - force them to migrate to urban areas. It is estimated that now their population does not exceed 400 indigenous people. These hardships have also forced some parents to sell their girls into the sex trade in the Cochabamba tropics.

The research Dynamics of trafficking, pimping and commercial sexual violence of children and adolescents in Bolivia, published by the Munasim Kullakita Foundation, shows that in the three indigenous peoples (Yuqui, Weenhayek and Ayoreo) the sale of minors originated from various factors, including "indifference on the part of the State and society as a whole."

"This (the abandonment of the State) forces them to survive in the only way that a harsh environment allows them: begging, theft and submission to the sex trade. The research has identified three indigenous communities that are excluded in the cities where they survive, and the way they do it with the sex trade of children and adolescents", says part of the research elaborated by Elizabeth Zabala and Ariel Ramirez.

In the specific case of the Yuqui, land usurpation is the main factor that puts this indigenous people at risk of extinction. The coca growers of the Chapare, mostly colonists, invaded their lands to cultivate coca leaf. The only large Yuqui community that manages to survive is Bia Recuaté, which is 160 km from the city of Cochabamba and is part of the municipality of Chimoré. Its inhabitants were used to fishing, hunting and farming as a means of subsistence, but now they do not do so because of the invasion they are suffering and the expansion of the urban march.

Carmen Isategua was a cacique of Bia Recuaté and has now become a leader of the Yuqui people. The indigenous woman, 36 years old, asks for the attention of the State to prevent her people from becoming extinct. She puts the ambition of settlers and drug traffickers as part of the invasion of her territory.

"When I was a cacique, I fought better. With the yuras (the Yuracaré indigenous people) I fought. There was a fight because they were working with illicit things that we do not deal with, like drugs and so on. We do not allow these things to happen within the TCO. As a woman, I have traveled to Cochabamba, everywhere to defend our land," said Isategua.

From the Yuqui people

The indigenous leader also laments that poverty leads "some" members of the Yuqui people to choose to "sell" their daughters to be subjected to the sex trade. "I don't understand it, but poverty forces these decisions," she said.

Gladys Sandoval, who was part of the Ombudsman's Office, knows the situation of the Yuqui people and the sex trade to which minors are subjected.

"The Yuqui community is a community isolated by the settlers, who have entered their lands or some have sold them. All of this has meant that the Yuqui no longer know how to obtain resources. Many are dedicated to alcohol consumption and we have learned that some are selling their young daughters to prostitute them, all in order to survive. In some of the trips we made to these areas, the population told us about the presence of yuqui women, adolescents, in some brothels along the Cochabamba-Santa Cruz highway," Sandoval reported in the Munasim Kullakita Foundation investigation.

The same report includes the account of a sex worker in the Cochabamba tropics. The woman details that the parents of the underage girls hand their daughters over to the brothel owners so that they can be commercialized.

On the roads of the Chapare, the sex trade has increased.

"The youngest I have seen was a 13-year-old girl that her father brought her, they were from the Yuqui. She was there for a week, then her father came and took her away. I have heard that several young girls from the Yuqui work outside the Chimoré barracks. Their parents force them to do that. They don't like the yuqui here because they drink a lot, they are very drunk, they drink pure alcohol. I imagine that's why they make their daughters work," said the sex worker.

The Weenhayek, also called Matacos, live around the Pilcomayo River, in the department of Tarija. Their survival has always been based on food gathering, hunting and fishing, although today their ancestral practices have been disappearing due to modernity, the invasion of their territories by Yacimientos Petrolíferos Fiscales Bolivianos (YPFB) and social exclusion.

These factors are compounded by the constant droughts in the Bolivian Chaco. Thus, they were forced to look for new sources of economic income and migrate to the nearest cities - Yacuiba and Villa Montes - where they survive in poverty with informal jobs or the subjugation of girls and adolescents to the sex trade.

"The number of men migrating to work in the oilfields and the new existing roads give rise to brothels operating within the Weenhayek territories, between Villa Montes and Yacuiba. The Weenhayek community - which is located between two towns where this problem is evident, and in a conflictive socioeconomic situation - easily enters the sex trade. In addition, as this is a border area with Argentina and Paraguay, the girls and adolescents of this community are highly vulnerable to being captured by traffickers," the research reveals.

Government attention

The Vice-Minister of Coordination with Social Movements, Juan Villca, announced that coordinated work must be done with sub-national governments to prevent the sex trade of minors. "We must not abandon our indigenous peoples and even less so that girls are mistreated in this way," he said.

Meanwhile, the Ombudsman's Office asked state entities to make contact with indigenous peoples to address their demands and thus prevent the sex trade of girls.

"We ask the competent state agencies to define a work agenda that aims to protect the rights of indigenous native peasant nations and peoples and take concrete and effective actions to meet the demands and needs of indigenous peoples hard hit," requested the defender Nadia Cruz.

Another indigenous people affected by the sex trade of minors is the Ayoreo. The investigation reveals that there are Ayoreo, who live in the Bolivian Chaco, who "deliver" girls and adolescents to be prostituted in the areas of La Ramada, Los Pozos and Cañoto Avenue in the city of Santa Cruz de la Sierra.

DEMANDS OF THE YUQUI

The Yuqui people demanded attention from the three levels of the State in order to have food and the necessary assistance for the extreme health problems they face. They also demanded the guarantee of the Family Basket, the payment of the Dignity Income and the access to the Juana Azurduy de Padilla bonus.

SAYS THE CONSTITUTION

Article 31 of the Political Constitution of the State establishes that indigenous peoples and nations must be protected and respected in their individual and collective ways of life.