Striving for Authenticity:A Look into the Language of Cosmovisión in Bolivian Identity Politics

Abstract

Bolivia is a nation where 62% of the population claims indigenous identity. The 2005 election and 2010 re-election of indigenous president Evo Morales demonstrate the importance that indigenous identity has suddenly taken on for the Bolivian collective consciousness. Today, indigenous identity is an asset to populists in Bolivia, although until fairly recently it had been a stigma. The shift in discourse about indigeneity in Bolivia has brought up challenging questions: Who is really indigenous? What does it mean to be indigenous? Who defines indigeneity? And most importantly, how can the legitimacy of one’s claim to indigenous identity, or authenticity, be measured? This work will examine how two popular leaders in Bolivia have crafted a discourse around the notion of the alternative worldview known as “cosmovisión” in order to authenticate their indigeneity and gain public support.