ARTICLES OF Charles Bladon

Christmas in Translation

22 Dec, 2017 | Charles Bladon

Photo: Ivan Rodríguez PetkovicExploring the quirks and staples of a Bolivian ChristmasTurkey, Christmas trees, fairy lights, snow and a warm fire: these are a few things that instantly come to my mind...

The Andoro Experience

22 Dec, 2017 | Charles Bladon

Photo: Claudia PrudencioTransgressing the boundaries of performance in BoliviaAndoro is no musician alone. This was made clear the moment he stepped through the front door of the coffee shop and greet...

The Growing Pains of a Modernising City

29 Oct, 2017 | Charles Bladon

Photos: Adriana MurilloPreserving the Buildings of an Aging La PazTucked away around the corner of Plaza Murillo, a mere stone’s throw away from the Legislative Assembly, a structure that bears famili...

Casa de Hacienda Chijchipa

29 Oct, 2017 | Charles Bladon

Photo: Adriana MurilloA Converted Hacienda-Lodge With a History of RepossessionA warm, lush tropical forest hugs the walls of the converted hacienda. After removing the layers of clothes necessary to...

Partido Obrero Revolucionario

22 Nov, 2017 | Charles Bladon

Photo: Adriana MurilloThe old guard of Bolivian TrotskyismSince 1825, there have been 88 governments in Bolivia, with an average of 2.2 years per government. Chronic political instability has become s...

The Art of Revolution

22 Nov, 2017 | Charles Bladon

Photos: Fruzsina Gál and Charles BladonBolivia is no exception to the graffiti fad that has enthralled South America in recent decades. Discourse has taken a new format, taking issues rigorously...

El Valle de las Ánimas

23 Jul, 2018 | Charles Bladon

Photo: Gonzalo LasernaJust east of La Paz’s Zona Sur, the spires of el Valle de las Ánimas (‘Valley of the Souls’) hang over a carved-up glacial valley, resonating with a mystical quality. A mere one-...

Mayra Gonzales

23 Jul, 2018 | Charles Bladon

Photo: Jaime VargasA bastion of Bolivian folk musicNo doubt anyone who has paid mind to the music on the streets and in the nightclubs of La Paz would notice that the current generation is entranced b...

Such Great Heights / A Grandes Alturas

31 Jul, 2021 | Charles Bladon

Photos: Gabriel Vargas/ @gabrielvargasphotographerENGLISH VERSIONStretching across Bolivia’s heartlands and towering over La Paz and Lake Titicaca are the meandering cluster of mountains known as...

THE OLD GUARD OF BOLIVIAN TROTSKYISM / LA VIEJA GUARDIADEL TROSKISMO BOLIVIANO

31 Aug, 2021 | Charles Bladon

Photo: Dayme PaymalENGLISH VERSIONSince 1825, there have been 88 governments in Bolivia, with an average of 2.2 years per government. Chronic political instability has become somewhat intrinsic to the...

Feelings for the Night

22 Dec, 2017 | Charles Bladon

Photo: Esteban Terrazas SaraviaLa Paz. The sun dissipates and, with it, my urban trepidation. The night encroaches, accompanied by wonder and titillation. The night promises so much, the impossible se...

The Rebirth of Tourism in Bolivia / El renacimiento del turismo en Bolivia

31 Jul, 2021 | Charles Bladon

Photo courtesy of SelinaENGLISH VERSIONUpdates from the Selina La Paz HotelWith international travel happening more frequently, albeit nowhere near what it was pre-Lockdown 2020, tourists are tricklin...

A return to the Revolutionary Workers’ Party / El retorno del Partido Obrero Revolucionario

31 Oct, 2020 | Charles Bladon

ENGLISH VERSIONTheir fight to hold the government accountable to its people2 years ago, while in La Paz I attended the centenary of the Russian Revolution, hosted by the Trotskyist old guard, Partido...