Tim & Kallie in Bolivia
Connect with us!
  • Home
    • About Bolivia
    • About Cochabamba
  • About Our Work
    • About Us
    • About CBM
  • Blog
    • Newsletters
    • Mosaic Magazine
  • Support Us
    • Contact Us

Paro!

16/12/2013

Comments

 
Picture
This past week we had our first experience with paros (translated stoppage). Paro is the term used when a group in Bolivia protests to a degree that impacts or stops everyday operations. In this case, we went out one morning and found we weren’t able to commute to work because blockades had been set up in key points around the city of Cochabamba. We ended up having to cancel three full days of school, which didn’t seem to bother our students but certainly inconvenienced their parents. Since paros tend to happen several times a year, our school has a system in place whereby teachers prepare homework for an extended period and hand it off to students around 8pm after the blockades have lifted that night.

The paro was instigated by the public transit workers who want to raise fair prices from 26¢ to 31¢ CND. After three days of protest without any resolution, transit workers decided to go back to work and just charge more—prompting the military to begin doing random checks around the city.

News reports are currently anticipating a resumption of the blockades for tomorrow but no one really know how this is all going to pan out. To add a little more excitement to the mix, we’re currently in the middle of high school finals. But as far as elementary school is concerned, there’s nothing wrong with an occasional Bolivian snow day.
Picture
Newspaper photo capturing some of the blockade tension during the paro.
Comments

    Authors

    Our thoughts &
    stories on life in Bolivia.
    Here's more About Us

    Archives

    June 2021
    March 2021
    December 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    November 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013

    RSS Feed

Picture