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  • I’m Miguel Centellas, a political science professor at Mount St. Mary’s University. Because of academic interests, I post frequently on Bolivian politics. I also occasionally discuss interesting books, pop culture, and daily life in Baltimore.
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Calling all Bolivian bloggers

February 19, 2008
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About five years ago, when I was doing fieldwork in Bolivia, there were only a handful Bolivian bloggers. That number has since expanded to include hundreds, and is rapidly expanding today.

Today, Bolivians blog in Spanish, English, Aymara, and a number of other languages (depending on where they live). And Bolivian bloggers aren’t only from the “upper class” (a common misconception). Few Bolivians have home internet access. But many thousands log onto the internet regularly from “cyber cafés”—from the crowded urban centers to rural, out of the way places.

In August 2007, Eddie Ávila (of Barrio Flores, one of the pioneer Bolivian bloggers) launched a small grass roots project tied to the Harvard-based Global Voices project. The goal: Train a new generation of Bolivian bloggers, focusing on marginalized sectors. Currently, there are three group blogs (in addition to the hundreds of individual blogs): El Alto I, El Alto II, and Santa Cruz (in the Plan Tres Mil neighborhood). Check out their YouTube channel.

Now, Voces Bolivianas is expanding w/ the project: Voces Bolivianas en Tu Comunidad. The new goal is to reach every corner of Bolivia, w/ its “internet literacy” program. It’s going to be an exciting year!

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Comments

I do not think it is a misconception to say that most bolivian bloggers are of the upper classes.

Despite the fact that many Bolivians do access the internet on a regular basis, it is not usually to create blogs. In order for a person to keep a blog and to constantly update it, needs to have access to internet almost at all times. Many people can't afford to go to an internet cafe whenever they want. Most rural towns do not have internet cafes, and in most places the service is to slow.

This is shown, just by the fact that most Bolivian bloggers are Private University students, that means people who, although are not rich,are middle or upper middle class.

This is very unfortunate, since what is out there represents only the point of views and experiences of upper class bolivians. Instead of providing a variety of point of views. There are no peasants, or indigenous people.

I do join your recognition of Voces Bolivianas, and I am optimist that this will bring some fruits. But it will still be very difficult, since most people have no access to computers and other information technologies.

Saludos!

Posted by utopico February 19, 2008 11:05 PM

    Yes, most Bolivian bloggers are upper class. No doubt about that. But some have made the claim that all Bolivian bloggers are (aren't bloggers disproportionally upper class in most countries?) . Hopefully, Voces Bolivianas will help shift that balance by making Bolivian blogging more diverse.

    Posted by mcentellas February 20, 2008 1:09 AM

      Utopico:
      en Bolivia se debe aprovechar lo que se tiene, en este caso los cafe internets, asi tambien la administracion Morales y las prefecturas/alcaldias consideran que la imagen de un campesino en un telecentro, es la solucion a la brecha tecnologica...
      queda mucho por hacer en Bolivia, pero el recorrido de un camino de mil millas empieza con el primer paso, no crees?

      Posted by Mario Duran February 21, 2008 8:22 AM

        Something that surprised me in El Alto was that we found that 75% of the participants had computers at home, but none had internet access.

        Posted by eduardo ávila February 21, 2008 4:38 PM

          One of the things that fascinates me about Bolivia (particularly La Paz-El Alto) is that it constantly challenges the preconceptions of the relationship between people in the third world and technology.

          Posted by mcentellas February 21, 2008 4:41 PM


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