The start of the new semester caught me more off-guard than I had expected (plus I foolishly took on too many side projects whose deadlines are next weekend), so I’ve not had time to post regularly (as was my intention).
But I didn’t want to neglect the importance of the second presidential inauguration of Evo Morales. One of the things that fascinate me about Evo’s political trajectory is his ability to use symbolic politics so effectively. Previous political figures—including indigenous figures like Felipe Quispe—have done so in the past, of course. But the sheer scope of the spectacle (I use that word in its literal sense, not w/ any implied normative meaning) of the investment ceremony (which was grander, by all accounts) than his January 2006 inauguration are remarkable. In 2006 Evo’s pre-inaugural ceremony at Tiwanaku included blessings from Aymara yatiris (priests). This year, Evo was proclaimed the “spiritual leader” of Bolivia’s indigenous people. I wonder when we’ll see an ethnography or sociocultural study of how indigenous political ceremonies have been recreated in contemporary Bolivia?
Once things settle down after the end of next week, I hope to start doing some preliminary analysis of the candidates for April’s regional & local elections. Those elections will set the tone for the future direction of Bolivia’s state.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/26/opinion/26brooks.html
What I would like to know is if ever in the precolumbian history of the tawantinsuyo, any inca/curaca/mallku ever considered himself THE political leader as well as THE spiritual leader. Methinks even back then, they had separation of powers....and whatever happened to the andean cosmological tradition of rotating power? Even the greatest and most accomplish leader HAS to step out and let the next guy have his turn, EVEN if this guy is universally acknowledged to be a incompetent and corrupt leader.
I would like to hear in your analysis how MSM would rank in terms of idiocy, that is helping itself to become irrelevant.
2Good post. I very interested in the article.jeans true religion
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