Changing lives
A boy weaves down a road bordered with neat gardens and pitches a newspaper onto the front lawn of a house. There is a sound of a click and the [...]
Andean blessing
Click on the photo for a gallery of images from an Andean blessing that we organised by Lake Titicaca in our last weeks in Bolivia to celebrate friendship, our commitment [...]
Wedding
Click on the photo for a gallery of images from our wedding in Britain on 5 July.
Colonial backlash
Through the grainy print, I could just make out three men in suits and hats haughtily bristling their guns. At their feet were a line of indigenous men and women [...]
A day in the country life…
My blog hasn’t really caught up with my personal life and some imminent changes afoot, which I will blog about soon.. But this piece has been floating around a little [...]
May 4th referendum
Just imagine if Cornwall decided that it had had enough of Gordon Brown, decided to write its own constitution declaring it had right to control exports and negotiate international treaties [...]
Debt chapter arrives
It has taken forever, but finally my chapter examining the politics of debt in Bolivia has been published in spanish. You can download it here (PDF, 464KB) or read more [...]
Bolivia’s elites push for autonomy
My partner Juliette has recorded another piece on the autonomy movement in Santa Cruz for Free Speech Radio News that you can listen to here.
Shock doctrine
Bolivia is a good setting for reading Naomi Klein's latest book "Shock doctrine." Not just because Bolivia features in it as one of the model countries where the Chicago school [...]
Crude reflections
I have had the following piece published in the April/May edition of Red Pepper (buy now in all good bookshops and newsagents!). The piece focuses on the different visions of [...]
Potato harvest
On Easter day, we joined a friend Calixto and his wife Encarnación to help harvest potatoes on his land in El Alto. In a dry barren neighbourhood, we firstly shared [...]
Coca is not a drug
My partner Juliette has produced a great short programme for Free Speech Radio News on the UN call on Bolivia to ban coca. Click here to listen
The political price of bread
I looked at the bag. There were only two rolls not three. Ever since I have been in Bolivia I have got three rolls for one boliviano (about 8 pence). [...]
Colonialism in the UN
“A special reference must be made to another well-known doctor in Cuzco who was most sincerely convinced that coca-chewing was disastrous to the Indian…. He explained the habit in the [...]
Wigglesworth
W-I-G-G-L-E-S-W-O-R-T-H. “So how do you say this?” said the man eagerly as he pointed to the scrawl on his napkin. He repeated carefully back to me: “Wiggalswort.” Curiosity got the [...]
Coup against democracy?
“These leaders who want to change our way of life and don’t thank the cruceño people… they should go, what are they doing here.” Vice President of Santa Cruz civic [...]
Salsa of the mind
"Chair!!!""Me!!!""Chair!!!"On each shout from Ariel, I would spin trying to keep the salsa beat. As he walked further and further around, I occasionally cheated by spinning the shorter distance. "Mierda" [...]
Real communication
I found this quote on a wall in the dilapidated headquarters of the indigenous federation CONAIE in Ecuador. It speaks to me about the importance of rooting our communication in [...]
Hiphop struggle
To give you some idea of Aymaran hiphop. I interviewed the band in the video a couple of years ago. Video spotted on upsidedownworld
Journeying
My legs ache for space, my backside throbs dully. I twist again and try and imagine I am vertical as my head props up awkwardly against a stiff headrest. Why [...]
Constituting change in Bolivia
I have had the following analysis published on TNI, but have copied it here as well. Adolfo Chavez’s determined voice rang out across thousands of people gathered in the central [...]