August 6, 2022

Dia de la Patria

Unterstrich_grau

Today - August 6 - Bolivia celebrates its Independence Day. This year (2022) marks the 197th time. This national holiday commemorates the day on which Simón Bolivar won the decisive battle in the fight for independence from the Spanish colonial rulers.

The day is celebrated with traditional processions and parades. Houses and streets are decorated in the red, yellow and green colors of the national flag. Throughout the day, there are many different attractions, performances, hands-on activities and, of course, fireworks in the major cities.

The Congress meets for an annual special congress session in the 'Casa de la Libertad' in Bolivia's capital Sucre. It is the place where the Declaration of Independence was signed in 1825.
Although this day has great significance for the Bolivian people, the country is still very unstable politically: since independence, there have been repeated clashes with neighboring countries and there is also ongoing domestic unrest, national revolutions and social and economic problems. For example, there were ongoing protests due to proven irregularities in the presidential and parliamentary elections in October 2019, as a result of which President Evo Morales had to step down after 14 years. In the new elections on October 18, 2020, Luis Arce was elected president with a clear majority. In his inauguration speech, the left-wing democrat appealed to the population to overcome "division, hatred, racism and discrimination". He believes in a better Bolivia "by working side by side towards peaceful coexistence with the participation and cooperation of all Bolivians".

In economic terms, Bolivia has experienced a strong upturn in recent years. The most important source of income is clearly the export of crude oil and natural gas. Unfortunately, smuggling and corruption continue to destabilize the economy. The coronavirus pandemic has also had a negative impact on the economy and, above all, has widened the gap between the rich and poor populations.

Efforts to help the destitute population are therefore extremely important at the moment, and we are pleased that we can make a contribution to this with our Street Doctors.

photocredits: Michel Dunn Caceres

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