The above photo and the original article of the below translatation were originally written by Franco Limber.
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This brief writing will have as its purpose to point out recurring facts within Bolivian national political culture., a situation that is recurrent, but, it is not taken as a matter of concern, since, consumers of the sex trade, usually have influential political positions , which enable its normal operation. In this case, union sectors of different occupations exercise among their elites the frequent use of sexual services and alcoholic beverages to enter into political agreements, to negotiate positions in the leadership, to buy political favors, based on clientelism, to hold relevant positions in some leadership position. These aspects lead us to think that (tendency) ideological principles do not intervene in decision making, and that money, sex and alcohol, have greater weight when taking a position on a particular issue. Such negotiations are carried out in small unit circles behind the union base.
For the reasons mentioned, prostitution plays a central role in the Bolivian union political culture, a considerable number of union leaders on one or several occasions have resorted to sexual services for political purposes. In the particular case of my greater knowledge, I will refer to the political culture of the city of El Alto, with it, to be able to exemplify a political phenomenon that occurs at the national level.
One of the relevant characteristics is: a large part of the union leaders are of “indigenous” origin, which today demystifies the idea of “chacha-warmi”, which suggests fidelity in the couple. Many of the leaders have a marriage that they hardly cultivate. The prostitution rooted in the city shows different edges, both racial and economic, which we will briefly note below.
To exemplify this idea, (which has had media repercussions) we can find the case of Abel Mamani, who as a neighborhood leader, has come to occupy positions within the State, without further academic preparation, alluding to his role within the supposed “process of change” as a meritorious cause for his appointment as Minister of Water, but he had mishaps for his bad management. The press, at that time, accused Mamani of alleged irregularities in the public company that operates the water service in La Paz and El Alto [1], but they were not sufficient grounds for his removal. His dismissal was, by the embarrassing act of appearing with prostitutes in images that the leader denied, arguing that these “photographs” were montages, which he could not deny. Abel Mamani, long after he appeared as a candidate of another political party (MSM), without luck, and once the party disappeared, he returned to the ranks of the MAS, consequently, he is appointed as Executive Director of the National Service of Protected Areas (SERNAP) [2]. As indicated above, political culture moves through clientelization. Mamani has been a clear example of this political quality. He was able to return to public administration, showing the deficiencies of the current regime in the allocation of efficient human resources.
Another case with which we can exemplify (the relationship of prostitution with the union leadership) is the so-called “orgy in the military compound” that occurred at FAB facilities in El Alto, where public figures 34re found; Deputy Norma Pierola (at that time) denounced and identified General Luis Trigo, former commander of the FAB, who is currently responsible for the General Directorate of Civil Aeronautics [3]. Although in the first place, he also accused the union leader Roberto de la Cruz, the same, identified one of the striking characters, Remigio Condori, who currently serves as Councilor of the city. Among many, these are cases that have had media repercussions, but have failed to demonstrate the dynamics of the relationship between prostitution and politics.
The political culture in El Alto, at the leadership level, is based on clientelist relationships. Political, economic favors are built from the consumption of alcoholic beverages and sexual services. Ideological levels are not relevant. That is why the leaders co-opted by the MAS, as well as related to National Unity (UN), resort to these practices, without major regret or need to change this dynamic. When a leader, (linked to the MAS and UN, chapetonist) wants to obtain an important position, he knows that he has to spend large sums of money in the purchase of beer for his followers and other minor leaders. The purchase of beer boxes are common in negotiating agreements and positions. Because they have important economic returns in the long run they resort to prostitution, if the beer is not enough to meet their demands.. which lies in the city’s brow of El Alto, obviously, they do not resort to ordinary prostitues located in the “October 12” zone but to clandestine brothels that are usually camouflaged and are recognized by certain numerical signals such as: “88”, “69”, “ 18 ”…, placed in the houses where sexual services are offered.
In these areas of sexual slavery, leaders spend large sums of money to buy support among their followers; the pair of beer bottles costs 100 bs, and the sexual services are from 300 bs onwards, obviously, it is not only between the leaders of the negotiations, but in these spaces they start business, senior national and local government officials, military, judges and lawyers who create high-profile “businesses”. Interest is the only motive to dispense considerable amounts of money, it is logical! They know that in the future they will multiply their investments. Accessing these clandestine brothels is not difficult, there are many rubrics as verified by the press. “In the stands to access the floors with brothels there were suggestive posters that marked the direction of the brothels with texts such as:“ Sweet and affectionate, total pleasure, attention with love; only for today cholita sexy, 100% real; attention to the client’s taste, daring woman wanting to take you to heaven. ”[4] Among other notes, the consumption of beer and sex is frequent among union leaders to resolve issues of political interest, always seeking higher positions in the union or government administration, and what instead of disappearing, proliferates in their practice, due to the division of popular organizations between government and opposition, which is that the purchase of favors represents greater expense. The policy in the city of El Alto at levels of neighborhood and union leaders in relation to the national and local government is between bottles and rented beds.
The mining unionism is not exempt from these practices, since several mining centers, from the colony are accompanied by brothels to their surroundings, the same has happened with the railroad, and other companies, where the workers, due to the lack of cultural offers in those regions, they only resorted to drinking or sex as activities to forget their arduous hours of work. The mining leadership also resorts to sponsor sexual consumption among its members, and for the same reasons: political and economic interest. The tragic relationship between mining and prostitution tends to fall sadly in human trafficking. This is evidenced by some journalistic notes: “In Mapiri and Teoponte there are pimps that sexually exploit Benian teenagers as well as in Suches, border with Peru. The national government and the Ombudsman collect information to intervene ”[5] The report is clear, and demonstrates the fatal phenomenon; This case occurs in any region where there is mining, both in highlands, and in tropical regions. Trafficking of minors are not important to solve for the leaders, since many of them are perpetrators, they even deny the obvious, as the press makes it known: “The Reason spoke with Alejandro Santos, president of the Federation National Mining Cooperatives of Bolivia (Fencomin), who denies that victims of trafficking in brothels in Suches and Guanay camps and others in northern La Paz ”,“ No brother, that is ruled out ”[6]. But various reports realize that in these camps and throughout Bolivia, there are minors being sexually exploited.
Cocaine Trade Unionism
It is interesting that a cocalero leader named Leonardo Loza has recently tried to sympathize with a senior government official offering him “female company,” such a statement demonstrates the relationship between union, government and prostitution policy, it is not surprising that a large number of Brothels are steps from the “House of the People”, Loza’s statements state that in the chapare there are sexual services without any control by the State. And that surely they are high leaders who turn to them to exchange political favors. This lack of control falls into the trafficking of minors, as evidenced by the press: There, in the three “buckets”, seven teenagers of 15, 16 and 17 years were found. Sheira, 15, was also a concubine of the son of the administrator of “The Cave.” Felcc took the couple, Fernando Vaca Méndez (23), out of stupor, but he was not seen by the prosecutor on duty. The same happened with the person in charge of “La Garza”, Gerson Rosel Fernández. [7] Obviously this is not a concern of the government, the Chapare region over time and with the current administration has become an autonomous territory, Loza’s statements demonstrate a part of the national political culture, where ideological principles are non-existent, where the indigenous I do not change these logics, and within this work occupation, their leaders come to base to perpetrate and benefit from power, that is why they do everything possible to flatter those who are above in the organization, in this case Evo Morales and his circle, in that process of flattering they resort to alcohol and sex, Loza is the typical national leader who, in the absence of training, in the absence of intellect, resorts to these tricks to climb in the MAS game. (5)
Conclusions
As we have seen fleetingly, the relationship between prostitution and politics is part of the national political culture. These are not typical of a particular political party. Ideology does not guide actions and most of such identifiers are irrelevant – their purpose is usually only for demagogic speeches, based on populism and caudillismo, something that prevails in all social strata. This relationship between union leadership and prostitution leads to trafficking in persons, especially minors, which is not combated since many of the perpetrators in spaces of political power are the consumers of this market. The racial element is indifferent when resorting to this practice, El Alto is the sample of what happens in many regions of the country, which usually appear in the press, but no measures are taken to fix it.
Sources
[1] El DEBER, Jesús Alanoca Paco, 11/04/2017.
[2]Ibid.
[3] El Deber, Mario Roque C., Supuesta “orgia” en la FAB. Dirigente involucrado anuncia juicio contra diputada hasta llevarla “a la cárcel”, 07/09/2011.
[4] La Razón, Miguel Rivas, Lenocinios ilegales se camuflan en galerías, wallys y alojamientos. 30/7/2012
[5] La Razon. Burdeles del norte paceño son un eslabón con tratantes de menores 23/08/2015
[6]Ibid.
[7] Los Tiempos, Katiuska Vásquez, Descubren niñas prostituidas en “baldes rojos” del Chapare; crece la trata y tráfico de menores,31/10/2010.