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January 11, 2007, a day of violent confrontation in Cochabamba, has joined the calendar of memorable conflicts in Bolivia. Unlike other clashes in which violence was described as violence against Indigenous people, “January 11” represents a more contested moment: both government supporters and opponents commemorate this day as a tragic day for democracy. The deaths of an Indigenous cocalero from the countryside and a mestizo youth from the city have been the subject of public contestations over the meanings of democracy, race, and citizenship. This chapter contextualizes this conflict within a broader process of social change and examines the public transcripts of contention provided by monuments, mobilizations, and other public political performances used by pro- and antigovernment forces. Drawing on the work of Frantz Fanon, this chapter suggests that the commemoration of “January 11” has taken place in ways that reinforce rather than challenge the colonial order of things in Bolivia.

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