Bolivia Information

Population: Approximately 8 million inhabitants
Capital: La Paz (seat of government); Sucre (legal capital and seat of judiciary)
Official Languages: Spanish but most Indians speak either Quechua or Aymará; composite dialects of Spanish-Aymará and Spanish-Quechua are also widely spoken
Government: Bolivia is a Democratic Republic, the actual president is Jorge Quiroga Ramírez (since 7 August 2001)
Administrative Divisions: 9 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento); Chuquisaca, Cochabamba, Beni, La Paz, Oruro, Pando, Potosi, Santa Cruz, Tarija

Festivals

The best known of the various festivals found in the country is the “Carnaval de Oruro”, which was among the first 19 “Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity”, as proclaimed by the UNESCO in May 2001.

The carnival marks the Ito festival for the Uru people. The ceremony stems from Andean customs, the ancient invocations centering around Pachamama (Mother of Earth) and Tio Supay (Uncle God of the Mountains, transformed into the Devil). The native Itu ceremonies were stopped in the 17th century by the Spanish ruling the territory. However, the Uru continued to observe the festival in the form of a Catholic ritual. The highlight of the Carnival is conducted over three days and nights, with fifty groups parading through the city over a route of four kilometers. The groups represent various indigenous dance forms-with over 28000 dancers and 10000 musicians participating in the procession that lasts 20 hours.

The procession culminates in the enactment of two plays, reminiscent of medieval mystery plays. One is about the Spanish conquest. The other revolves around the classical battle between good and evil, with the Archangel Michael ultimately triumphing over the Devil and the Seven Deadly Sins. The Carnival consists of a series of rituals, parties and arrangements which begin after Todos Santos (All Saints) and Difuntos (The Dead) Holiday. In February the people used to go to the sanctuaries to honor Wari (God of Subterranean Wealth). During the months prior to the Carnival – between November and February – the different groups get together in order to rehearse and prepare themselves spiritually to dance for the Carnival. They rehearse with music and choreography at night with candlelight and chewing coca. Since the carnival is a never fixed one cannot give an exact date – but it is always conducted during the month of February just after Cuaresma.