Riot shields line up under a pink park statue reading “Peace”.
One does not have to go very far to be reminded that Bolivia’s hold on democracy is tenuous at best.
Outside the presidential palace, decked out in red, green and yellow bunting for the recent Independence day celebration, marchers chant their garbled dissatisfaction with government policies at top volume through tinny loudspeakers. In a country where dynamite is legally sold to anyone, the presidential plaza is heavily guarded. The president, an indigenous coca farmer, seems to always be at odds with everyone.
Military police, always in pairs, make their presence known in the parques and streets of the city. They serve as a reminder that Bolivia’s turbulent history is still being settled.
