By Tanja Lubbers, Regional Director, Hivos Latin America
I arrived in La Paz, Bolivia, on a cold night in early June. Landing atop the Andes at 4,300 meters (about 2.67 mi) is always magical—the thin air, the silent cable cars, and the city below buzzing with life even at 4 a.m. Some were just starting their day; others hadn’t ended theirs. Long lines of cars waited for fuel, a stark reminder of Bolivia’s ongoing economic and political crisis.
The Adelante Bolivia coalition
I came to Bolivia for Pride Month, a crucial time for our work on LGBTIQ+ rights. Hivos, through the Adelante Bolivia coalition with Adesproc Libertad, Colectivo Rebeldía, and Igual, is working to advance equal rights for Bolivia’s LGBTIQ+ community. I had the honor of signing a second agreement with Bolivia’s Ombudsperson to monitor progress on LGBTIQ+ policies following a 2022 study that revealed alarming discrimination. Fifty-three percent of LGBTIQ+ respondents had reported facing bias and discrimination in the previous year, in particular unequal access to healthcare, education, and employment.
Since 2023, Bolivia has faced severe fuel and dollar shortages, triggering inflation, protests, and even fatalities. As the August elections approach, tensions are rising. The current crisis also threatens to roll back hard-won gains in LGBTIQ+ policies.
Coordinated advocacy attracts new allies
That’s why Adelante Bolivia has helped launch the National LGBTIQ+ Coordination Mechanism, uniting 19 national and local networks. Together, they align strategies, plan Pride marches, and address safety amid unrest. Encouragingly, local governments—especially La Paz’s Sexual Diversity Unit led by Tatiana Mamani—are becoming active allies. During my stay we met with the entire group during a two-day meeting where they strategized their upcoming actions and advocacy, especially around the Pride March at the end of June.
Artivism and investigative journalism are also central to Hivos’ work. And Adelante Bolivia has funds small funds available for this. We visited various initiatives that saw the light thanks to these funds. From LGBTIQ+ film festivals to storybook publications and Pride anthems. Or Afro-Bolivian music and dance and Indigenous expressions supporting gender diversity. Initiatives like these shift narratives and reach beyond the LGBTIQ+ community.
The power of movements
At Hivos, we believe in the power of movements. While debates and disagreements are part of the process, as they were in the meetings I attended, debates also drive growth. We remain committed to building a Bolivia—and a world—where diversity is not just respected, but celebrated. Supporting communities affected by inequality, exclusion and discrimination is essential.
