Sue Iamamoto
PhD Candidate, School of Politics and International Relations
Queen Mary University of London
Capes / Brazil
Thursday 19 March 18:30
Joint presentation with the
Institute of Latin American Studies
Torrington Room (104), First Floor
Senate House, Malet Street, WC1E 7HU
Glass of wine, refreshments and nibbles included
Send email for booking at anglobolivian@gmail.com
Eleven years ago, in September / October 2003, a powerful social mobilisation paralysed Bolivia to demand nationalisation of natural gas. The setting for this struggle was mainly the highland provinces of the department of La Paz and the city of El Alto, overlooking the seat of the government of La Paz. After more than 50 protestors were killed by the army, President Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada resigned on 17 October 2003. This presentation will focus on the power of collective memories during these days, more specifically how the protestors incorporated narratives of two particular events: the anti-colonial rebellion of Tupac Katari in 1781 and the War of the Pacific in 1879-1880, in which Bolivia lost its seacoast. These collective memories were entangled with the protestors´ national and ethnic identities and were central to frame and make sense of new political projects for Bolivia’s future.
The Anglo-Bolivian Society 