Message from the U.S. Embassy
From: Consular, La Paz [mailto:ConsularLapaz@state.gov] Sent: Saturday, September 13, 2008 5:19 PM Subject: Warden Message – Civil Unrest – September 13, 2008 Dear Warden: Below please find a Warden Message from the U.S. Embassy in La Paz, Bolivia. Please share this warden message with any U.S. citizens in Bolivia with whom you have contact. We hope this information is useful to you. If we may provide further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us. Sincerely, American Citizen Services Unit U.S. Embassy La Paz, Bolivia WARDEN MESSAGE U.S. EMBASSY LA PAZ,...
Read MoreOur Status and Crisis Plans
Summary: Half of Bolivia is at war, but not our half. We don’t know whether it will spread. Bolivia is fully unpredictable. We’re staying for now. Issues: The Anti-Evo region is in violent protest, possibly even secession. They’re not doing it intelligently – so they have made enemies of Brazil and Argentina. MAS (Pro-Evo, simplistically) is possibly inciting further violence. Evo might send in military troops. Chavez has stated that if Evo is deposed, he will send in Venezuelan troops. Brazil and Argentina are siding with Evo because the opposition have shut down...
Read MoreBlockades and Breaking Points
Those of us in Cochabamba are in for a fun ride over the next while. A meeting was recently held in which the leaders of the Opposition movement and Evo Morales, president of Bolivia, were scheduled to discuss solutions and compromises in light of the recent referendums. The opposition leaders attended. Evo did not; Evo sent a low-level flunky in his stead. The opposition closed the session and returned to their respective locations. Santa Cruz is, essentially, taking the attitude of – “Fine. We can the blockade game, too. You [Evo, et al.] have three days.” This means, for...
Read MoreRambunctious and Nameless
If you’ve watched the videos of the last entry, then you might have noticed a very rambunctious little girl playing in the background. Normally I take the kids outside or to another room to play games, make crafts, and such, but having had tonsilitis for three weeks… well, games weren’t to be had. Eventually her mother brought her outside to the front porch where I played with her anyway until the service ended. I haven’t the foggiest idea what her name is; every time I’d ask her for her name, she’d just reply, “Photo!” A very camera-happy...
Read MoreOur Wednesday Evenings…
On Wednesday nights here in Cochabamba we host a one-hour study and worship service in English. The idea is this: the Christian community, and particularly the missionary community, spends Sundays (and most of the week) ministering to other people – Bolivian churches, orphanages, etc. Our Wednesday evening is a time when those people can gather together and be ministered to. We arrange the big room downstairs so that the chairs are in a half-circle shape through the middle. I took some videos this week from the hallway, looking right through the center. The space is starting to get a...
Read MoreAbout Lorien
I vote as a libertarian influenced by Hayek and Burke, and I think as an anarchist guided by the biblical principles of liberty. I have fenced foil in a diaper-suit and run for political office in a skirt-suit, but my shoes were always fabulous. Both dreadful politics and inspiring design are likely to make me teary.
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