Meeting up with Vania, Bolivia

Launching a new project on this blog. The idea is to give speech to one blogger of each country of Latin America. I will publish the interviews regularly asking them to talk about their country. I think it can be good testimonies…
And I’m glad to begin the series with the interview of Vania Balderrama. Vania writes a very interesting blog about everyday life in Bolivia. Always with sensitivity and a very good sense of analysis. Let’s go to La Paz…

Vania, can you describe your blog in a few words? What is it about? What is your goal with the blog?

Time Capsule, as the name suggests is a “trunk of memories,” where I save my reports on daily life: my world as a mother and as a woman, and especially as a human being living in a town where anything can happen.

The blog was created with the idea of keeping all these “I’s” so that in a close future, my children Rodrigo and Sebastian can read me and know me in a different dimension, not only as the mother who controls their assignment, who bathes and clean their nose, but as an ordinary person who is interested in many things, like music, movies, books, life in general, so that they can see from my eyes a piece (or several) of my life today.

What do you do when you do not write on your blog?

I’m a Business Manager in a reinsurance brokers office whose headquarters are in Lima, Peru. I’m also studying English for a degree of official translator (for what I need a year and a half more but it was bound to begin with). Once or twice a week I go for a coffee with my friends (I love that), read when I can, I see police series and movies on TV, I enjoy my little kids (who are not so small) and sometimes my husband and I give some break to see a movie or have dinner. The two of us, just like when we were not married yet.

Which news from your country have most impressed you in recent days?

The news that have shocked me the most are:

1. The success of Biometric Standard for the elections, not only in our country but abroad. This news made me very happy because it demonstrates that we Bolivians do want democracy as part of our lives.

2. The video of the UTARC in the Las Americas hotel, which depicts Tactical Crisis Resolution Unit (a governmental police unit) supposedly “planting” evidence in the case of (supposedly) terrorism starring by the Croatian-Bolivian Rosza.
3. The inability of the Bolivian right to cope with Evo Morales, because unfortunately we still live in a country of warlords. It is not a recent news, but it is sad because it shows that Bolivians still need much time to understand democracy.

How do you see the political situation in your country?

I think we are going through a crucial stage, not only politically but historically speaking. While the government has made mistakes and good things (just like the governments before), it has also allowed to see ourselves as we had not ever done i.e. recognize the vast Métis majority that makes our country up and its way of thinking about Bolivia. We still have to recognize that we are all one country, not just the peasants or the Indians, but also the millions of Métis who live in all Bolivia. Hopefully we can continue to the next step, not just looking in ourselves, but look at each other and understand each other as equals.

Three reasons to love your country? Three reasons to worry about it?

Why you’ll love my country:

1. Folklore, culture and all that mystique of being children of Mother Earth, in the west and the east, in the north and the south.
2. People.
3. The organized chaos masquerading as freedom.

Why we could be worried about my country:

1. The tyranny of “caudillos”, that seems to be endless
2. The fact that some people insist on wanting to face East and West, as a result of their selfishness.
3. The resentment of others who do not understand that ordinary people are not to blame for what has happened during 500 years. We should not keep looking backward but forward.

A favorite place in your country? Why?

Tough question. My whole country is beautiful, so when you mention a place I’d rather imagine several:

* A town in Chiquitania with the streets full of red earth, an infinite green paradise and good people.
* Copacabana (a city located at the border with peru) and all his mystical Aymara.
* Santa Cruz (the city of rings) and its mixture of people around the country fighting for a better future.

* La Paz (Chuquiago Marka) and the chaos that is not only in its streets full of minibuses and people, but also in the houses hung on the hills as if they were defying the law of gravity.
And so many others…

A singer / artist in your country that you would like the world to know?

In recent years I have known with many brilliant musicians and songwriters in Bolivia. The list is endless, but I quote some who come to mind right now: Ronaldo Vaca Pereira (Animal de Ciudad), Carlos Arancibia (the “Chuqui”), Sergio Antezana, Atajo, Rodrigo Villegas (the “cricket”) and one of my Favorites: Vadik Barron who is a musician and a poet.

What is blogging for you? Which Bolivian blogs do you read?

To me the blog is an essential tool to express myself, to think aloud and to show the world I see everyday, transforming the images into words.

I read many blogs, from Bolivia and all around the world. The Bolivian blogosphere shows an amazing diversity. My favorites are:

Urbandina : a reflection of the Andean city, La Paz is seen through the eyes of William Camacho and a group of people who write occasionally on the blog.

El perro rabioso (Stray Dog) : life through the eyes of Oscar Martinez.

Revista La Mala Palabra : art, culture and other things.

El Alto Noticias : El Alto, La Paz – Bolivia through the eyes of Alberto Medrano

Also fall into this list: On the road of Liliana Colanzi, Al inicio fue el silencio (the beginning was the silence) of Albanella Chavez, Asesino de Leyendas (Legends Murderer) of Gustavo Arce, Las Mujeres Invisibles of Leon Caro … and if I could spend all day long quoting others.

What is “Latin America” for you?

For me, Latin America is an amalgam of colours, tastes and feelings.

While in recent times many Latin Americans we identified ourselves as a bad imitation of Europe, we are increasingly recognizing our multi-cultural face, because we are a mixture of Natives (Aymara, Maya, Mapuche and thousands of other American people), Europeans, Africans, Asians…

In all that lies our wealth. I hope we can end the process of recognizing and accepting ourselves as we are.

Recently international media spoke about the conflict between Bolivian President Evo Morales and his opposition. What is your opinion about the situation?

The conflict between Evo Morales and the opposition will always be constant news if people keep on dividing the country into camps: those who are with Evo and those who are not with him, the “Media luna” (“half moon” referring to the Eastern region) and the others, West and East…

As I remarked in a previous answer, as long as we remain a country of warlords we cannot move together toward a common good, one blames the other in an endless vicious circle in which no one takes real responsibility for their actions.

Another issue has been discussed here: the lithium reserves in the Salar de Uyuni. Media reports said Bolivia could have an incredible wealth for the future. What do you think about that situation? Do you see it as an opportunity for Bolivia?

The exploitation of lithium is a very important opportunity for Bolivia, but the issue is not so simple. The new Constitution of the State (NCPE) ensures the original indigenous peasant autonomy, establishing the right to prior consultation required for the exploitation of nonrenewable resources in their territories. Furthermore, the indigenous children should have some of the benefits of this exploitation. At the same time the NCPE guarantees the right of these people to live in a healthy environment with adequate management of ecosystems.

From this perspective the issue is complicated because the original indigenous living in the area are unpredictable. They may agree to exploit lithium, or they may prohibit entry to transnational companies.

What can you see from your window?

My Chuquiago Marka view from one of the many viewpoints of the center.

Vania Balderrama’s blog