BootsnAll Travel Community

Hey All,

I plan to head to Bolivia on May 8 and will be stopping in Copacobana for a few nights, La Paz for 5 days and then south for the Salt Flat tour. I´ve been scouring the internet for information about Bolivia´s upcoming vote to annex Santa Cruz or something of that effect. I believe the vote will take place on May 4 and Pres. Morales ins´t too happy about the prospect of a leftist outcome.

Naturally, I´m concerned as to my safety, the stability of the infastructure and so on. I know there´s been a good deal of scare mongering via internet/US Gov. surrounding Bolivia travel, but I´d prefer to poll from you all.

Thanks for your advice.

Kyle

Hey! We are in La Paz at the moment heading into Cobacabana in a couple of days. There are a lot of travelers here and no one is feeling much besides a little marching and tons of political graffiti. One thing you should look into is that we heard a rumor about the day of May 8th and the possiblity of protest by ways of Border closure. This means one day where no one comes or leaves. It could be a rumor as we have heard it once, but it should be worth checking out.

I've been hearing about political turmoil in Bolivia all the time, and only on travel sites, where posters quote governmental sources (mostly US).
I visited the country twice within the last six months and never experienced any kind of situation that would pose any kind of danger.

I am glad that I found this information about Bolivia. My friend has sold off his belongings and rented his home in anticipation of moving there long term to work in a school as a teacher. He finally got his visa back from them and it turns out it is only for 30 days rather than what he wanted (6 months). He is arriving there on Monday. HE was told by the comapny which helped him secure his visa that he will be able to extend it once he is down there. I wonder if that is true. That seems unlikely to me. I am not sure what he can prove to them once he is down there that he cannot prove to them now.

I hope that people down there will continue to write breaking news on here so that we can be kept abreast. Is there anything useful to be found on the websites of Bolivian news outlets?

Here's a very brief rundown. Bolivia is divided into the Indian and mestizo/white/ groups. Indians are traditionally located in the mountains. Over the last 50 years there has been migration by them into certain lowland areas. Chief result has been a massive outbreak in TB amongst many of the transported. Of the survivors, those in the Yungas took up the growing of coca. It pays several times what any other crop does. Much of the violence of the last 7 or 8 years has been the result of coca growers protesting against government programs(forced upon them by the US) to eradicate coca. Since no one of importance except me goes to the Yungas these folks migrated up to the La Paz/Peru border area and made general pests of themselves with roadblocks and the burning of occasional buses and trucks. So all those safety posts on every forum a few years back. I was popping in and out of the country all the time. Generally, Bolivian Indians are pretty good about knowing how far to go before the army gets pissed and lets it's soldiers practice with the machine guns.

Then things got really weird. An Indian named Evo Morales ran for president. Someone screwed up and didn't pre print the ballots already filled out. So we find the country governed by the first person in its history who signs his name with an X. He also claims to be a leftist. Well, since at the time he didn't know the difference between right and left...and still refers to himself occasionally as a sandwich hand... it is doubtful how much ideology is really there. Hugo Chavez, happy to meet someone with a lower IQ, has made him a personal friend. Bolivia's natural resources are divided into the mining industry in the mountains (that mountain outside Potosi was at one time the world's biggest hunk of silver) and it's oil and gas reserves in the eastern lowlands. The main city there is Santa Cruz. That brings us to the current situation. The eastern provinces, rather than be dominated by a president who wants to nationalize the hydrocarbon industry, have been campaigning for autonomy.... and some for outright independence. While it will give those areas a serious problem in the domestic servant field, they will control 80% of the country's wealth. How is this going to effect you? Talk to folks coming out for details on blockades and such. Usually, the blockaders leave at least one way open or take bribes from certain taxis to transport passengers through the lines. Personally, I think 5 nights is too much for the average person to spend in La Paz. Uyuni and the salar will be no problem. Is your Spanish good enough to understand the newspapers? How long are you planning total? No interest in jungle or pampas? Hopefully, someday cooler heads will one day win out. In the meantime just keep some situational awareness and you will be fine.