Articles
Bolivia Under The Knife
17 April, 2013, Ana Ryan Flinn
Photo: Amaru Villanueva Rance The increased availability and acceptance of cosmetic surgery in Bolivia dangles ideals of Western perfection tantalisingly on the periphery of the population’s reach. Cosmetic procedures have traditionally only been available to those who can afford it, shaping the physical appearance of Bolivia's upper class, distancing them ...
A Healing Conundrum
17 April, 2013, Robert Noyes
The government claims traditional medicine is predominant in Bolivia while a research institute denounces the eradication of these practices. Robert Noyes sets out to weigh up the evidence. Photo: Ivan Rodriguez Petkovic The field of medicinal practices in Bolivia seems to have turned into a contested political battleground. On the ...
What You Want is What You Get
17 April, 2013, Robert Noyes
Self-medication remains one of the most affordable and widely-used forms of healthcare in Bolivia. Rob Noyes explores the dangers that lurk behind the convenience. On the steep inclines of the city, littered amongst the shoe-shiners and salteñas, lies a smattering of farmacias, small chemists typically staffed by one or two ...
Suspended in Madness
17 April, 2013, Selene Pinto
In the city of La Paz, Andean cosmology has its own conception regarding the treatment of madness. In the waiting room of la Caja Nacional de Salud (a psychiatric hospital) the clock on the wall shows it is almost 12:50. The secretary who works there saves her files on the ...
Every Day Miracles
17 April, 2013, Matthew Payton
Porque Nada es Imposible Para Dios Matthew Payton looks at the reality behind the miracle cures offered by Bolivia’s burgeoning evangelical movements Evangelical churches in La Paz do not exactly promise a home visit from the local pastor, a place in heaven, or a seat on the flower-arranging committee. They ...
Land Of Healers
17 April, 2013, Felicia Lloyd
Felicia Lloyd Speaks to Grover Quispe, a Local Kallawaya, to Understand the Past, Present and Future of Traditional Medicine Photo: Carlos Diez de Medina Llamas, lakes, less-than-safe public transport, cholitas, coca tea, and medicinal healers are all images we learn to associate with Bolivia, sometimes stereotypically. In the latter case, ...
Open Your Head
17 April, 2013, Carlos (Kaamil) Shah
Once the domain of Peruvian shamans, hallucinogenic ceremonies are becoming increasingly popular in Bolivia. Illustration: Marco Antonio Guzman Rocabado (Marco Toxico) Any mention of hallucinogens in the West usually conjures up images of spaced-out 1960s rock stars and bearded baby boomers in washed-out T-shirts imploring us to ‘keep it real’. ...
Healing in Small Doses
17 April, 2013, Alan Pierce
Traditional and Western medicine have a strong foothold in Bolivia, so where does a growing alternative medicine like Homeopathy fit in? Photo: Alan Pierce From traditional healing, to Western medicine, to alternatives like homeopathy, Bolivians have a diverse collection of healing options to choose from. In this family of healing ...
If It Cures, It Cures
16 April, 2013, Sophia Howe
Sophia Howe meets some of Bolivia’s traditional medicine practitioners, some of whom only use natural herbs and ancestral knowledge; others decidedly more exotic in their practices and ingredients. DOÑA ANDREA DE CHOQUE - FRACTURE SPECIALIST Photo: Sophia Howe Natural healer Doña Andrea de Choque lives on a steep hillside road ...
EDITORIAL - Reinventing Progress
14 March, 2013, Amaru Villanueva Rance
Things are quickly changing in Bolivia — some say for worse, some say for the better. But what does it mean for things to improve in the first place? This is precisely what’s currently being debated across the country. Félix Cárdenas, Vice-Minister for Decolonisation helps us understand some of these ...