ANARCHIST MOVEMENT-BOLIVIA:

LIBERTARIAN ENOUNTER/FESTIVAL IN COCHABAMBA BOLIVIA:

Molly has translated this notice from a recent Spanish item appearing on the A-Infos website. Anarchism is undergoing a revival in the smaller countries in South America, as it is worldwide. In Bolivia this process has gone on enough so that the local anarchists feel confident in holding public events such as this encounter/festival (In Spanish speaking countries the term "encuentro" is usually used rather than the "festival" that we use in English speaking ones).

Bolivia is a small poor country, and its anarchist movement is hardly as visible on the world stage as that of many others. But it exists none the less, and it is growing. It has a honourable history, and the Institute for Anarchist Studies has featured an article on this country in the Fall 2005 edition ('Anarchism in Bolivia Through the Writings of Silvia Rivera Cuisicanqui'), and they have recently offered a grant to Melissa Forbis and Cale Layton for a translation of 'Anarchist Trade Unions in Bolivia 1920-1950'. As in most of South America the union movement was essentially built by anarchists.

In recent years(2007 actually) the Bolivian anarchist movement has been most prominent in the "anarchosphere" because of an interview on the part of a radio station in Philadelphia, taken from the World War 4 Report site (or vice versa, I'm not too sure). The title 'Indigenous Anarchism in Bolivia' is quite apt. The majority of people in Bolivia are of indigenous descent, and the style of anarchism in that country reflects this. Molly highly recommends this interview/article.

There have been other previous reports on anarchism in Bolivia. The Anarckismo site published an interview titled 'Latin American Voices: Leny Olivera' last year as well. In 2002 the A-Infos site reprinted an interview with a Bolivian anarchafeminist from Black Flag magazine-'Interview with Julieta Paredes of Mujeres Creanda'. For those able to read Spanish the Indymedia Bolivia site is invaluable to understand what is happening in that country.

But news has still been little and far between. Molly is therefore happy to present this notice in the English language. The Bolivian graffiti above, by the way, reads "the government pisses on us, and the press say's it's raining". For a further selection of graffiti from Bolivia and Peru see the Angry White Kid blog.

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[Bolivia] libertarian encounter in Cochabamba

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From July 18 to 20 , in the city of Cochabamba, anarchist and libertarian groups and individuals of Bolivia, will meet in a Libertarian Encounter, to exchange experiences, publications, discuss the crisis in the country, racism and the risk of a violent confrontation in the country and also coordinate joint actions to come.

The venue will be the Manufacturers Complex (sorta like an industrial park-Molly) (Av-Melchor Perez Holguin, esq. Park Ex-Combatants) There will be an anarchist bookfair on Saturday, July 19.

Further information: crespoflores@yahoo.com