Bolivians Massively Demonstrate in Defence of Wiphala Flag

In response to the attempts of right-wing sectors to destabilize the country, thousands of Bolivians gathered in different parts of the country to defend the Wiphala flag, President Luis Arce, and the democratic and cultural revolution on Tuesday. 

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These rallies come after Santa Cruz governor Luis Fernando Camacho and his close group outraged the flag during an official ceremony held on Sept. 24. "We cannot allow a minority, authoritarian, racist people to polarize our country ... This is no longer a republican, racist and discriminatory state, but a plurinational state which represents 36 nationalities," declared the President of the Chamber of Deputies Freddy Mamani.

The Bolivian Workers' Central (COB), the Bolivian Farmers' Union Confederation (CSUTCB), the Confederation of Native Indigenous Farmer Women "Bartolina Sisa," the National Council of Ayllus and Markas of Qullasuyu (CONAMAQ), among others, gathered in the city of El Alto before descending in a peaceful demonstration to La Paz's San Francisco square.

Mobilizations are being held in nine departments. In some regions, they are led by governmental authorities such as Vice-President David Choquehuanca, who marched in Oruro, and Arce, who rallied in Cochabamba and planned later to attend demonstrations in La Paz and Santa Cruz.

Tuesday's demonstrations come as part of the Indigenous Resistance Day, as opposed to the commemoration of the Spanish Conquest. "On Decolonization Day, we reaffirm our fight against racism and discrimination," tweeted President Arce.

The Wiphala is a holy and ancestral symbol, and it represents a community system based on equity, equality, harmony, solidarity, and reciprocity. It became a symbol of resistance for the Indigenous peoples, not only in Bolivia but also in the continent as a whole.

"The time of colonial Europe is over. We proclaim a Plurinational America and planet with universal citizenship. This should be the path of all human beings around the world," said former president Evo Morales.