“Todo Pasado es Presente”: Racismo Abierto y Confrontación Violenta en Cochabamba el 11 de enero de 2007

The city of Cochabamba, Bolivia in 2007 faced an extremely violent confrontation after protesters from the rural areas found themselves against the citizens of the city. The farmers from the rural areas (campesinos) came to protest recent calls from the Prefect Manfred Reyes Villa for autonomy through the use of blockades. The citizens, many from the middle to upper class, decided they wanted to “take back the city” and “defend democracy” in their efforts to eradicate the campesinos from the city. Through the use of oral histories and life stories I reconstruct January 11, 2007 and explore the degree to which racism played a part in the confrontation. Palabras Claves: campesinos, Cochabamba, Manfred Reyes Villa, autonomia, racismo