Bolivia President Opens Indigenous Universities

[Judi Lynn]

Bolivia President Opens Indigenous Universities

La Paz, Aug 2 (Prensa Latina) Bolivian President Evo Morales opened on Saturday the first three indigenous universities, which would give lectures in Aymara, Quechua and Guarani languages, as a way to rescue the legacy of those cultures.

In a meeting held in Warisata municipality, in western La Paz department, the president signed the supreme decree to create an entity of that kind there, two others in Cochabamba and Santa Cruz, respectively.

We are here to meet a request by those people. The indigenous universities intend to decolonize Bolivia, ideologically, culturally, socially, and economically, being homage to our ancestors, he said.

The statesman also said those institutions will allow recovering the lives and forms of production of the indigenous populations, which resisted for centuries the humiliation of colonialism.

He said to be in favor of changing historic mentality, and questioned October 12, the day of the Spaniards' arrival in the Americas, as the Race Day.

"How is it possible that October 12 is the Race Day. That was the day of the Spanish and European invasion, which imposed cultural alienating aspects on us," he stated.

Morales praised the struggle by the indigenous people in different moments of the Bolivian history, to maintain validity of their traditions and defend their rights.

~~~~ link ~~~~