A cry for peace from Bolivia's mountaintops

Everyone hopes that 2021 is going to be a year of healing.

But to build a better future — one with less violence — we need to amplify messages of peace, justice, and unity.

For more on this, Real America went to Bolivia where a group of indigenous activists, ‘Las Cholitas Escaladoras', a group of women who climb mountains in traditional indigenous dress, is shouting that message from the highest mountain tops.

In Bolivia, las cholitas are a national symbol of liberation and empowerment. They have climbed the tallest mountains, carrying messages of peace and breaking stereotypes in a macho culture.

Las cholitas are also a strong voice against violence in Bolivia, where 75% of women suffer from some type of violence during their lives. That’s why they recently climbed Huayna Potosi, a mountain in Bolivia, to plant a flag as part of a UN-sponsored mission to raise awareness about violence against women.

Bolivia has the highest femicide rate in South America. In 2020, Bolivia registered 113 femicides. That’s approximately one woman murdered every 2.5 days. Of those, 53 femicides happened during the country’s covid-19 lockdown period.

The cholitas recently climbed Huayna Potosi , a mountain in Bolivia, as part of a UN-sponsored mission to raise awareness about violence against women. They were accompanied by Venezuelan political refugee Jose Ignacio Mateis.

To commemorate the historic shout for peace, the group performed an electronic music concert at the summit, which could be the highest-altitude concert ever performed.

Watch the show here: