With the help of two of our bloggers in El Alto, Voces Bolivianas is pleased to offer the sale of laptop sleeves made from the traditional aguayo textile.  The sleeve is held by velcro. If this is successful, we will continue to manufacture more in different sizes. For now, the exact size is made for the dimensions of a Macbook. Numbers are very limited.
There is a choice of two style (#1 and #2) and the cost is $25 USD and includes shipping within the US only (for now).  Payment may be made via Paypal.  100% of profits goes towards Voces Bolivianas activities.
For more information please write: info [at] vocesbolivianas [dot] org or eduardo [at] vocesbolivianas [dot] org  Please specify style #1 or #2.

For more information please see the English version of the Voces Bolivianas site.

Checking out the Voces Bolivianas website on my friend Luis Carlos’ ASUS EEE Laptop in Budapest.

Hola queridos

Cómo estás junto con tu familia? Es bueno escribir hoy sin embargo, no es ni obligatorio ni de ninguna manera me obligan a ir en contra de su voluntad. Mi nombre es Sliverline Marvin.I mañana 20 años, la única hija y el hijo del jefe (Late) Mr Emmanuel Marvin.

Mi padre era un minero de oro de gran reputación en la costa de Marfil durante sus días. Es triste decir que él falleció misteriosamente durante uno de sus viajes de negocios sin embargo, su repentina muerte fue vinculada o más bien se sospecha que ha sido ideada por mi tío que viajó con él en ese momento. Pero Dios sabe la verdad!

Mi madre murió cuando yo era aún un niño y, desde entonces, mi padre me llevó tan especial. Antes de su muerte, el orador pidió al secretario que lo acompañó al hospital y le dijo que tiene la suma de US$10,500,000 .00  izquierda en una de las principales del Banco aquí, en Abidján, Costa de Marfil. También le dijo que el dinero depositado en mi nombre Y, por último, emitió una instrucción por escrito a su abogado quien dice está en posesión de todos los medios necesarios y documentos jurídicos en relación con este fondo y el banco. Estoy sólo 20 años y estudiante de una universidad y realmente no sabe qué hacer.

Ahora quiero una cuenta en el exterior donde pueda transferir este dinero en, esto se debe a que he sufrido una gran cantidad de reveses como resultado de la continua crisis política aquí en la costa de Marfil y de los problemas familiares que me hicieron huir de casa de mi difunto padre Y me escondió en un hotel local para la seguridad de mi vida de la mano de mi tío malvados que matan a mi padre y algunos otros miembros de la familia que son mi vida, porque después de ese dinero.

La muerte de mi padre realmente traído dolor y retroceder de nuevo a mi vida. Queridísimos, estoy en un sincero deseo de su asistencia urgente en este
Respecto. Queridos, sus sugerencias e ideas serán muy necesarios, por favor, permítame decirle lo que quiero que usted quiere hacer por mí.

1. Usted me ayudará a negociar lucrativo y jurídicas para la inversión cuando el dinero se invierte sabiamente, como ustedes saben que yo soy sólo una niña y no tienen conocimientos de inversión.

2. Usted me ayudará a asegurar un permiso de residencia permanente en su país, para mí venir encima y continuar mi educación, mientras que usted se tendrá cuidado de la inversión que será creado por usted. El más importante de todos es para que usted sea un buen socio, cuando el dinero llega a su país.

Estoy dispuesto a darle el 15% del total de dinero después de que el dinero ha sido transferido con éxito a su cuenta bancaria en su país por su asistencia y el 5% en el caso de gastos que ha hecho durante el proceso de la transferencia. ¿Aceptar esta oferta por usted?. Por favor, Considere esto y volver a mi tan pronto como sea posible.

Gracias por estar ahí para mí.

Atentamente,
Sliverline Marvin

The leaders of the referendum, primarily comprised of the departmental governor, members of the civic committee, and businessmen, with the support of a large percentage of the population say that the referendum is necessary. It is the response to the government’s unwillingness to incorporate autonomy in the new Constitution. An earlier referendum two years ago overwhelmingly passed where Santa Cruz and three other departments voted “yes” on autonomy. However, the results of what that referendum actually meant were vague and open to interpretation and should have theoretically been part of the Constitutent Assembly. The proposed new Constitution does not go far enough with these demands according to civic leaders and opened the door to push forward on their own terms.

Photo of campaign for “yes” vote in the referendum taken by

Miguel Centellas of Pronto* provides some thoughts on the Referendum, as well as a bit of history on the issue at hand. Carlos Gustavo Machicado of Guccio’s [es] prefers not to use the word “autonomy” because it reminds him of university autonomy, which “the only thing that has done is foment inefficiency, bureaucracy and corruption within the public places of higher education.” However, there are plenty of bloggers who are supporting and openly demonstrating their intention to vote “Yes.” Andres Pucci is in favor of some of the decentralization aspects [es] of the autonomic statute.

Si un sindicato quiere personería jurídica, debe enviar a La Paz todo; si una empresa quiere aprobar su reglamento interno, debe enviar a La Paz todo; si un estudiante quiere defender su tesis, debe enviar a La Paz todo y esperar mas de 6 meses con la tesis aprobada por los revisores; si un profesional quiere sacar su título debe viajar a La Paz, pagar mas de 4 salarios mínimos, esperar 6 meses y volver a viajar para recogerlo.

If a union wants to receive legal representation, they must send everything to La Paz; if a business wants to approve their internal regulations, they must sent everything to La Paz; if a student wants to defend their thesis, they must send everything to La Paz and wait six months for the thesis to be approved by the reviewers; if a professional wants to get their diploma, they must travel to La Paz, pay the equivalent of 4 months of minimum salary, wait 6 months and return to pick it up.

One of the arguments against the autonomic statute is that it will cause a division within the country and that it could cause secession. Sebastian Molina of Plan B [es] categorically denies this argument and points to a recent inteview on CNN with President Evo Morales. Molina points to when “Patricia Janiot (CNN anchor) asked him what proof he had to show that there were separatist intentions in Santa Cruz, the president said that he had them but it would be best not to talk about that. The interview ended there, he had no arguments.” Even though it is expected that the “Yes” vote will win in Santa Cruz, many bloggers from Santa Cruz are criticizing the process and attitudes of some of the referendum’s leaders. Andrea from Lo Digo Yo [es] is not too pleased with the words of the president of the Civic Committee, Branko Marinkovic, who told the mothers from Santa Cruz that they will let the blood flow from their sons in a “responsible manner.” Others see fundamental aspects wrong with the autonomic statute, such as the omission of recognizing Quechua and Aymara indigenous that have migrated to Santa Cruz and who have played a big part in the region’s development. Comunidad Espartaco Boliviana [es] writes:

Todas las culturas y los grupos sociales tienen sus símbolos ¿Qué sentido tiene una ley que reconozca unos símbolos y otros no? Quedando de este modo excluidos los pueblos quechua y aymara, que si bien no forman parte de las mismas familias de cruceños e indígenas cruceñizados, vienen trabajando y desarrollando sus actividades desde la inmigración masiva fomentada por la revolución de 1952.

All cultures and social groups have their symbols. What is the point of having a law that recognizes some symbols and not recognizing others? In this manner, the Quechua and Aymara peoples would be excluded, who have formed part of the same Cruceño families and Cruceño indigenous, who have worked and taken part in activities ever since massive immigration fomented by the revolution of 1952.

Few know what will take place on May 4 or even on May 5, the day after the Referendum. Hugo Miranda writes [es]:

Que pasara el 4 de Mayo? Que pasara el 5 de Mayo? Mucha gente se pregunta eso o diría mas bien los hacen preguntarse eso. En este país donde la política, el chisme y la confrontación son los temas de moda y por lo tanto hacen que la productividad de todos disminuya considerablemente, la televisión, los politólogos y hasta intelectuales, llenan miles de hojas en los periódicos y varias horas en los espacios televisivos, preguntándose analizando que sera del dia después.

What will happen on May 4? What will happen on May 5? Many people ask or instead they are asked that. In this country, politics, gossip and confrontation are in fashion, which makes productivity considerably decreased, television, political analysts and even the intellectuals, fill thousands of pages in the newspaper and various hours on television, asking themselves what will happen the day after.

Columba of Guayaramerín Analitica [es] thinks that the expected “yes” vote will allow for other departments, particularly Bení, Pando and Tarija to follow suit with their own referenda. Finally, the blogger María Escándalo thinks that the day after will be just like any other day for the thousands of people trying to survive.

pues es para decir que después del 4 de Mayo… es decir el 5 ni el 6 o el 7… esos días, al menos para mí, no serán la excepción y por supuesto para los pobres de este pueblo los que andan a pie, los carretilleros de los mercados y los del interior que ilusionados buscan mejores días en estas zonas… seguirán creyendo en lo único que vale la pena creer: Su propio trabajo.

After May 4…meaning the 5th, 6th or 7th…during those days, at least for me, it will not be the execption and surely for the poor of this city that walk, those pushing the carts in the markets, those from the interior of the country that came looking for better days in this area… they will continue to believe in the only thing worth believing in: their own work.

On the Voces Bolivianas Website, we will hightlight of these 8 sites in order to give a background on who will be leading these workshops and a little bit more about the participants. The first one is a youth group in the city of El Alto led by two of our current VB participants, Santos and Wara.

The need to reach more Bolivians in underrepresented groups created the need to launch the campaign “Bolivian Voices in Your Community” in order to ask for the help of local bloggers to bring a Bolivian Voices 2-month project to they communities and teach the use of web 2.0 tools (blogs, digital photography, audio and video). The response was overwhelming and moving and included proposals from more than 24 people and institutions from 6 of the 9 departments. In order to reach more people, Bolivian Voices decided to change the workplan in order to accomodate more teaching sites and reach a wider audience.

Bolivian Voices would like to announce that April 19 will be “Bolivian Voices Day” where in approximately 10 sites across the country, a workshop on the creation of blogs will be helpd. With the help of local bloggers, approximately 120 participants will receive instruction on how to open, create and maintain their own personal blog and how to be a part of the Bolivian Voices community, as well as the local and national blogosphere.

The confirmed sites include the continuation of the sites in El Alto and Santa Cruz, but also the launching of new sites in La Paz, Oruro and Cochabamba. More sites will be confirmed this week. More details and a list of sites and collaborators will be released this week.

“Bolivian Voices Day” will also be an opportunity to talk about some of the topics of why there are so many voices without representation in the Bolivian blogosphere and what we all can do so that these internet tools can help bring people together and look for ways to overcome these obstacles such as lack of access and lack of knowledge from the population.

Many thanks to all of those who are supporting this blogger citizen’s movement, including all of the participants of the projects in El Alto I, El Alto II and Santa Cruz I, the coordinators, the volunteers, special invited guests, media, institutions, organizations, national and international bloggers, Rising Voices network of projects and Rising Voices for the funding that made the first three projects possible.

More details in the days to come….